A fresh perspective
by Eastendersfan444
Summary: My take on what happens with Lauren and Joey, there are some bits i "liberated" from the scriptwriters and some that has come from my Lauren and Joey haven't really been a couple . they've shared kisses (which will be filled by the back story later) but haven't really figured out their relationship yet so it's still . so what's to come,? Read and see! R&R thanks
1. Chapter 1

Joey walked into the Vic and he scanned the room letting out a deep sigh when he saw Lauren seated at the bar, her head resting on her coat, a half empty glass in front of her. He walked over to her and sighed again, 'Should've looked here first hey Lauren' he said 'This is what you do isn't it, when you don't get you're own way?'

Lauren raised her head briefly to look at him 'Why are being so nasty?' she asked with a sigh

'Because that's what I do' he replied cockily as he leant on the bar

'Why are you here?'she asked him

'Look I came back here for Alice. She needs me' Joey replied staring at Lauren. She picked up her glass and downed the rest of the contents in one go and she got up, grabbing her coat, avoiding looking at him.

'Well as you can see Alice isn't here' she said as she moved passed him and walked round to the other side of the bar. putting some distance between him. 'Can I get a drink please? Hello! Anybody!' she called out annoyed that no one was serving behind the bar, people looked up at her in surprise.

'Lauren..wait' Joey called as he followed her, she frowned and spun round to face him, anger flashing in her eyes.

'For what?' she frowned at him 'Like you said not everything's worth a second chance' she threw his words from earlier back at him and his eyes narrowed,she gave up trying to get a drink and stormed out of the pub. Joey didn't follow, figuring she needed some time to calm down, sober up. He decided he would try to talk to her again tomorrow.

Lauren walked into the kitchen the next morninng at 7:30am, Tanya and Max raised their eyebrows in surprise. 'You're up early' Tanya said

'Yeah well I have things to do today' she replied as she poured herself a coffee. 'Abi not up yet?'

'Things?' Tanya questioned as Lauren drank the coffee

'Yep. I'll see you later' she shoved the empty coffee cup into the dishwasher and walked out of the kitchen. Tanya and Max exchanged glances and then shrugged.

Joey saw Lauren walking through the square heading towards the train station 'Lauren! Lauren' he called after her, he was certain that she would have heard him but she didn't turn around and disappeared into the tube station.

At 6:00pm the door to number 5 slammed loudly 'Lauren that you? I'm just serving up dinner' Tanya yelled out from the lounge, Lauren sighed heavily,

'Yeah it's me, I'll just wash up' she called out as she ran up the stairs. She stashed her sketch pad and pencils under the bed and went into the bathroom and washed her hands and face, staring at her reflection, she knew she wasn't drunk, just slightly buzzed from the half bottle of vodka she had drunk in the park, but still she cleaned her teeth just in case the alcohol could be smelt on her breath. Forcing a smile on her face she walked down the stairs and into the lounge, her footsteps faltering slightly when she saw Alice and Joey seated at the other side of the table. She moved forward and sat down next to Oscar who grinned at her

'Hi Lo' he smiled

'Hi buttmonkey' she replied with a smile 'Good day at school?'

'We had stories' Oscar replied

'Good stories?'

'Yep about a princess and a frog" he said

'Like the one we're reading?' she smiled at her little brother affectionately, he nodded

'but Lauren wasn't the princess' he said

'When is she' Lauren muttered under her breath 'Well we'll read some more of the story where Lauren is the princess at bedtime okay?'

'Can I be the frog?' Oscar asked her. Lauren giggled at Oscar's face.

'Yes you can be the frog' she told him.

'So what did you get up to today?' Tanya asked Lauren, Lauren looked up in surprise, usually no-one bothered asking her what she did, usually she was sleeping off a hangover,or slumped on the sofa watching tv, usually Abi or Oscar were the main topics of conversation. She blinked and licked her lips.

'Do you mind if I talk to you and dad about it later?' she asked her mother.

'You can talk to us now' Max said looking up at her. Lauren glanced at Joey and Alice and saw them both looking at her with interest

'I'd rather do it later in private if that's okay?' she asked them.

'Of course it is darling' Tanya said 'So Abi... how was your day? Lauren sighed grateful for once that the conversation was all about Abi. Lauren picked at her food as she absent-mindedly listen to the conversations around her, she could feel Joey's gaze on her throughout the meal, but refused to look up at him. When dinner was finished Lauren and Max cleared the table and went into the kitchen to do the washing up. Max frowned

'Are you alright Lauren, you were quiet at dinner?'

'I'm fine dad' she said with a sigh, 'Just a bit of a headache is all' she replied, she licked her lips and chewed on her bottom lip 'I didn't know Joey and Alice were gonna be here?'

'Yeah well it was your mother's idea... Alice hasn't been doing well since Derek died...' he trailed off 'Your mother thought it would do them good... a change of scene... home cooked meal..you know Joey's hoping you'll go back to the house with them tonight, give Alice someone to talk to..'

'Yeah I would but I think I'm just gonna go to bed..headache you know' she said with a shrug. 'Why don't you and mum take them to the pub, I'm sure they'd like that, I'll finish up in here' I told him

'All right thanks Lauren' Max said kissing the top of head as he walked passed her and out of the room.

After Lauren had finished in the kitchen she walked up to her room and lay down on the bed closing her eyes. The vibration of her mobile phone startled her, she jumped off the bed and grabbed the phone from her bag and saw Joey's name flashing on the display, instantly she rejected the call and flopped back down on the bed, it rang again instantly but this time it was Whitney. Lauren smiled 'All right Whit?'

'I need to talk to you can you come to the Vic?'

'Yeah sure I'll be there in 10 minutes' Lauren said frowning at the tone in her best friends voice as she hung up. Ten minutes later Lauren walked into the pub, spotting Whit at the other side of the bar. She crossed the room and someone grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop,

'Thought you were going to bed?' Max asked her 'Headache?'

'Yeah I was but Whit called she sounded upset...so'

'Your cousins are upset they've just lost their father' he frowned at her

'Yeah well they've got you and mum haven't they' Lauren replied as she pulled her arm free and walked over to Whitney. She stood up and they hugged

'I am so glad you are here' Whitney said with a smile 'I have a dilemma only you can help me with'

'Okay now I'm intrigued' Lauren licked her lips 'What's up?'

Joey watched Lauren and Whitney talking and laughing together, drowning out whatever Max and Tanya were saying to try and make Alice feel better, he had missed her the time that he was away, he only realised how much when he saw her again, she had obviously heard that he was back in Walford and had come over to see him and he had to be all cold and distant ... he had to say that things weren't worth a second chance, knowing what she would read into that... sometimes Joey wished he would think before he spoke, now Lauren wasn't talking to him, in fact she wasn't even acknowledging him,the whole time at dinner he kept looking at her and she remained focused on her plate, not even joining in the conversation, not that the conversation included her, mainly it was about Oscar and Abi. Joey licked his lips and pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed a quick message and then shoved it back into his jacket. He watched as Lauren picked up her phone and then put it back on the table.

Whitney frowned 'Are you okay?'  
Lauren looked up 'Mmm? yeah I'm fine, why?'

'It just looked as though that text message upset you or something?' she asked me

'Oh .. just telling me I need to put more money on it' Lauren said 'I swear I only put 10 on it the other day' she said and she laughed 'I'll be back in a second' she said and she picked up her phone and disappeared into the ladies. When she came back Joey was sitting at the table talking with Whitney. Lauren sighed and took her seat again and picked up her glass and drank half of the coke, 'You know what I'm gonna go I'm feeling pretty tired'

'You haven't been here that long and Joey's just joined us' Whitney said with a frown.

'Yeah I know but I need to talk to mum and dad about something so... I'll see you tomorrow?'

'I'll give you ring' Whitney said a little confused.

'I'll walk you home' Joey said standing up.

'I know the way thanks' Lauren replied again without looking at him. Joey and Whitney watched her leave the Vic, her phone vibrated again and she pulled it out to read the message she knew was from Joey. "I really need to talk to you, meet me at R&R at 11:00?" Lauren licked her lips and looked at the time and started to walk.


	2. Chapter 2

Lauren managed to avoid Joey for the next two days, she was quietly sitting in the corner of the cafe with a coffee filling in some forms she had picked up from college. A chair scrapping alerted her to the face someone had seated themselves across the table from her, she raised her eyes from the paper and saw Joey sitting opposite her. 'Are you planning on avoiding me forever?' he asked her

'What do you want Joey I'm busy' she said with a sigh, turning her attention back to the papers in front of her.

'I want you to talk to me, to return my calls. to hear me out..'

'Yeah well you made things pretty clear when you vanished to god knows where with god knows who, I don't known why I even bothered to come over' Lauren told him 'I mean it's not like you returned any of my calls or texts is it?' she sighed 'But that's what you do isn't it? Things get a bit rough and you take off not caring who gets hurt in the process'

'Things didn't just get rough, Derek died...right in front of me'

'You didn't even like him Joey' Lauren shot back as she began to gather her papers up and stuff them into her bag. 'And that's supposed to make it okay is it?' Joey frowned at her 'Derek was a bully, he manipulated people, situations to get what he wanted or have you forgotten about that hey? Or what about what he did to us, to me?'

'Lauren...'

'He walked away from people he was supposed to love, messed with their head... does that remind you of anyone? she asked him as she stood up and tucked her back over her shoulder

'I am nothing like Derek' Joey scowled at her

'Yeah course you're not.' she said and she walked out of the cafe. She made her way into the Vic and ordered a neat double vodka, she downed it in one and ordered another. Lauren sat down at a table near the door as Tyler and Whitney came in.

'Hey I was gonna call you' Whitney said

'Oh?'Lauren raised her eyebrows in interest

'Yeah I was thinking about going over and seeing Alice...Bianca and Carol are taking the kids away this weekend so I thought I'd throw a little party, thought maybe it would cheer Alice up a little, I thought maybe you could come with me...?'

'Sure but she won't be up for a party' she told her 'Mum says she barely leaves the house'

'Well we can try can't we?' Whitney asked her 'Please?'

Lauren groaned and closed her eyes 'Okay fine...we'll have to go now though'

Alice heard the door bell ring and she climbed off the sofa and walked to the door. 'Lauren, Whitney, Joey's in the kitchen' she said when she saw who was standing on the doorstep.

'We came to see you' Whitney said as we followed her into the lounge

'I was just trying to pick the music for the...' she trailed off

'Look Alice, if there's anything that I can do to help all you have to do is ask' Lauren said to her softly 'I'm only across the road, at the end of a phone' she smiled at her cousin

'Thanks that's really nice of you' she replied as Joey came in with a mug of tea, he put it down in front of her 'Look Joey, Lauren and Whitney came to see me.' she looked at him

'That's really nice of them hey?' he replied to her 'I'll leave you all to talk or do whatever it is you were doing' he said and he looked at me and then walked out of the room. We talked with Alice for an hour and she looked a little bit brighter than she did when we first arrived.

'You ever want a change of scenery come over to mine' Lauren told her

'I will, thanks Lauren' Alice smiled and then hugged her cousin 'Thank you for coming to see me. it really means a lot' she said

'Anytime, we'll see ourselves out' Lauren smiled back at her. Joey appeared as Whitney opened the front door

'Oh are you leaving?' he asked

'Yeah I have a party to get ready for. You should come and Alice, anytime after 7pm' Whitney told him.

'I'm not sure Alice will be up for it to be honest, I'll ask her' he told Whitney and then he looked at me 'I'll stop by for a bit' he said.

'Great, see you later then' she grinned at him.

**AN: So what's gonna happen at the party and will Joey get Lauren to talk to him? Please R&R.. hopefully will post another few chapters today if I can.**


	3. Chapter 3

Lauren sat at the kitchen table filling in the essay portion of the form when Max came in. 'What are you up to?' he asked as he peered into the fridge

'Just filling an application form for a Graphic Design course at College' Lauren replied

'Graphic design course? that sounds expensive' he said as he pulled out some left over chicken from the fridge and sat down at the table Lauren glanced up at him

'Mum was saving that for a chicken salad for dinner'

'Well I'm eating it for lunch' he replied 'So this course?' he asked her

'It's a course where you get placed in a design company as an Intern you work for free and they pay for the course' Lauren told him 'All that needs to be paid for are the flights out'

'Flights?' Max raised his eyebrows

'It's in Paris.. it's kinda of like an exchange program kind of thing'

Max looked at his eldest daughter 'What and you expect me to pay for the flights? Support you when you are over there'

'I have some money saved, and I'd pay you back' Lauren looked up at him

'Not gonna happen Lauren. You remember America? All that money we threw at you and you wasted the opportunity, got kicked out, I never got any of the money back you know, I'm not throwing more money at you' he said 'So you may as well stop filling in those forms, because you ain't going'

'It's a really great course and college' she looked up at him

'The answers no Lauren' Max said 'Forget about it'

'I've already said I can pay you back, I can get a job out there...'

'Doing what... you can't even get a job here...' Max said as he got up with the chicken 'I'm going to back to the car lot' he told her Lauren sighed and looked down at the papers and she got up and went up to her room and pulled out the half bottle of vodka from her drawers and took a long drink.

Later Max came home and saw the papers on the table, he picked them up and read them briefly and then screwed them up and put them in the bin. He went into the lounge with the paper and sat down on the sofa. Lauren woke up from her nap and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen to get a drink of water and some Asprin. She frowned when she realised her papers were missing. She made a cup of team and opened the bin to drop the t-bag inside and saw her papers, she pulled them out of the bin and straightened them up and took them up to her room.

Lauren arrived at the party at 8:00pm 'Lauren you made it' Whitney said

'Yeah, is there drink' she asked her friend

'In the kitchen, help yourself' she smiled Lauren glanced across the room and saw Lucy and Joey talking together in a corner, she rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen and poured a vodka and coke that was more vodka than coke and drank half of it down. She returned the main room and watched people having fun and laughing, Fats was playing the music and Poppy was smiling and laughing and hugging him, Tyler and Whitney were seated on the sofa cuddled up together, she looked at Lucy and Joey, Lucy was flirting with Joey big time, touching him whenever she could, flicking her hair, touching her face and laughing loudly at the things he said. The only other person there was Tamwar and he was talking with Poppy and Fats. Lauren sighed and drank the rest of her drink and went into the kitchen to pour another, she sat down at the kitchen table, nursing her glass, thinking about what her dad had said to her, throwing good money after bad, that if she couldn't get a job in Walford how did she expect to get one in Paris. She looked at the glass in her hand and licked her lips, she drank a little and then got up leaving it on the kitchen table. Joey glanced up as Lauren walked out of the kitchen, he laughed loudly causing Lauren to look over at him, he touched Lucy on the arm and she moved closer to him, Joey's fingers grazed Lucy's cheek and she looked up at him expectantly as Joey leaned towards her. Lauren rolled her eyes and walked out of the house. 'Dick!'she muttered as she walked passed Joey and Lucy.

The next day Lauren had arranged to meet Alice in the Vic, they had just finished their lunch and Alice caught sight of the sketch pad in Lauren's bag. 'What's this' she asked

'Oh just some sketches nothing important they're pretty crappy' Lauren replied, she handed the pad to Alice who started to look through them

'They're not crappy they're really good Lauren' Alice said, she glanced up at the bar spotting her brother with Lucy 'Hey Joey come and look at Lauren's sketches' she called out to him. Lucy and Joey made their way across the pub as Lauren snatched the sketch pad away from Alice

. 'I don't want everyone to see them!' she hissed at her cousin quietly.

'You left the party early' Lucy said to Lauren.

'You call that a party? I've been to better wakes' Lauren replied,she suddenly realised what she had said and she looked at Alice 'I'm sorry that just ... sorry' she mumbled. 'The "party" was just dull'

'It's nice to see you out Alice' Lucy said to her

'Lauren persuaded me' she said with a smile 'I was getting a bit crazy just sitting in the house by myself, besides Lauren and I had a really nice talk' she bumped her shoulder and she smiled at her.

'Yeah we did, I really appreciate it' Lauren replied, she picked up her glass of coke and took a couple of mouthfuls before looking at her watch 'Listen, I've got to go, I'll see you later' she said as she got up and picked up her bag

'You're leaving already?' Lucy said, Lauren looked at her, saw how close Lucy was sitting to Joey, any closer she would be practically sitting in his lap, she felt a pang of jealousy

'Yeah I have somewhere to be' Lauren replied

'Lauren has a date' Alice grinned and she looked up at Lauren 'Good luck'

'Thanks' Lauren stole a glance at Joey, she thought she saw a flash of jealousy in his eyes but it was quickly gone so she thought she had been mistaken. 'See ya'

'Is it me or is Lauren acting weirdly lately?' Lucy asked

'She's just got a lot on her mind' Alice said

'Like what... she doesn't do anything except drink and draw stupid pictures' Lucy replied, she looked at Joey and smiled at him 'So do you want to go to the movies tonight, or dinner? My shout?' she asked him

'I can't I have plans sorry' Joey said and he licked his lips 'You know what I should get back to the club, we're really busy there...' he said as he got up 'I'll see you later' he told them both and he left the pub. He walked through the square and passed the club and he saw Lauren cross the road at the end of Bridge Street, curious about her date he followed her at a distance.

Joey followed Lauren to the park, he watched as she sat down at a picnic bench and pull out her sketch pad and a pen and started to write. After 20 minutes she screwed up the papers and dumped them in the waste bin, quickly followed by her sketch pad and she turned and walked way. Joey retrieved the sketch pad and the forms and he looked at them. His eyes widened as he read through the forms and then looked through the sketch book, the last 3 drawings were all of him, he smiled. Maybe there was hope after all...


	4. Chapter 4

Joey walked into the Vic later that night hoping to see Lauren, disappointed when he didn't, he ordered a beer and sat down at a table just as Tyler came in, 'What's up with your cousin, I only said hello to her and she practically bit my head off' he said to Joey

'Who Lauren?'he questioned

'Yeah she was heading towards the tube station' he said. Joey frowned and he pushed his pint towards Tyler

'Here I'll go see what the problem is' he said and he got up and headed towards the tube station.

Lauren looked at the train timetable and checked her watch, the next train left in 20 minutes, she signed and sat down and put her rucksack on the floor between her feet. 'Bit old to be running away ain't ya?' Joey asked as he sat down beside her

'Shouldn't you be off somewhere with Lucy?' Lauren shot him a look '

Jealous?' Joey asked her with s cocky smirk

'You are such a dick' Lauren said with a frown 'She likes you Joey you know that and if you are gonna mess her around again...'

'I'm not seeing Lucy' he said

'Does she know that' she asked him 'Because all I've heard this afternoon is Joey this and Joey that and Joey's so nice and he really listens when you talk to him...and he's going to take me to the West End... and we're going to get married and have 8 kids and live happily ever after... blah blah blah...'

'So you're running away because of Lucy?' he asked her

'I'm not running away I'm just going to see an old friend and I'm not telling anyone where I've gone... except that now that I've told you it's not technically running away is it' she replied

'Okay.. well what's suddenly made you want to leave?' he asked her

'I just ...had a row with mum and dad about something and I..' she frowned at him 'Why do you care?'

'Of course I care' he told her 'Look why don't you come and stay at mine for a bit, until everything's calmed down hey?' he asked her

'Because that would involve being with you and that's something I really do not want to do at the moment.'

'Why?' he asked her 'You know you can talk to be about anything?' he said

'Did you use that line on Lucy?' she asked him 'You know she thinks that you are a couple again right?'

'Yeah well I don't know where she got that idea from' Joey shrugged casually

'Oh I don't know maybe it had something to do with you kissing her at the party, you know for instance...' Lauren frowned at him 'I don't get you Joey...why you have to go round acting like this all the time, I thought that I knew you...clearly I was really wrong about that'

'Look it was one kiss, a peck, it didn't mean anything'

'Yeah well obviously it meant something to Lucy' I said

'It was a mistake.. you wouldn't talk to me so...'

'So you kiss Lucy?' she looked at him incredulously 'What as a conversation starter?'

'It worked didn't it?' he smirked at her

'Urgh! Go away Joey!' she snapped at him and she got up and moved to another seat.

Joey sighed, following her and sitting down in front of her 'Look I'm sorry, it was a stupid thing to do I'll admit that. You know I'm not interested in Lucy...' he said and he looked at her 'Lauren please... come back to mine and we'll talk ... really talk' he said to her, Lauren looked up at him 'I'll tell you where I went what I did... what I was thinking, feeling...' he licked his lips 'Please?' he said, Lauren looked at him, the front that he always wore when he was around others was gone, he looked vulnerable, shy somehow, self conscious, this was the Joey she knew, the one she was in love with, she closed her eyes and she sighed before she opened them to look into his dark brown ones.

'Okay fine...doesn't mean that I'm not still leaving though...' she told him,

'Okay' Joey nodded. They both stood up and Lauren smiled as Joey took her bag from her and slung it over his shoulder as they left the station and headed towards Joey's.

**AN: So do you think Lauren will let Joey explain? Please R&R. thanks **


	5. Chapter 5

Once inside the house Joey turned to look at Lauren 'Are you hungry?' he asked her

'I could eat' she replied as he put her rucksack on the floor by the stairs.

'How about I go and get some chips?' Lauren nodded 'Make yourself at home' he said with a smile. He left and Lauren took off her coat and hung on the peg by the door, checking her reflection in the mirror as she did. She walked into the lounge and saw her sketch pad and papers on the coffee table, frowning she picked them up and looked at them confused. She sat on the sofa waiting for Joey to return.

Ten minutes later he came back and went into the kitchen, she got up and followed him. 'Where did you get these from?' she asked him, he glances over his shoulder as he got plates out of the cupboard,

'Well I saw you in the park, fished them out of the bin' he licked his lips and closed the cupboard door and turned, putting the plates on the table 'Thought that you probably didn't mean to throw them away.'  
Lauren blinked at him as he busied himself with the chips. 'Did you look at them?' she asked him

'No not really just a glance' he lied, when Lauren didn't reply he looked up at her and he sighed 'Yes all right I did look at them. The sketches are really good, you'd definitely get onto the Graphic Design course with those' he frowned at her 'Why did you throw them away?'

'Because they're useless, stupid' she replied 'The one thing that I am actually any good at and it's pointless'

'Don't say that' Joey frowned

'Why? It's the truth' she looked at him 'Even my dad thinks so'

'He's seen them?' he asked her

'Well no not those ones, only Alice has seen some of them' she fixed her gaze on him 'I take you've seen all of them?' He nodded

'Yeah .. yeah I have... didn't have you pegged to be a stalker...' he smiled and Lauren laughed and looked down, blushing slightly.

'I wasn't stalking I was ...observing'

'Mmmhmm, of course you were' Joey went back to getting their dinner ready.

They ate at the kitchen table 'Is Alice due home soon' Lauren asked him

'No she went to visit mum, she called to say she's gonna stay for a few days' he told her, 'So..I take you Max isn't keen on the idea of you taking this course?'

'That's an understatement. He said he wouldn't help me with the money, even though I said that I would pay him back' she replied 'Mum thinks it's a bad idea too so...' she shrugged

'So you're just gonna give up?' Joey asked her

'I can't afford to go.. I mean I have some money saved but after paying for the flights and food and rent it's not gonna last long' she told him

'Flights?' he frowned

'It's a college in Paris' Lauren looked up at him

'Paris?'Joey focused all his attention on her, his food forgotten. 'For how long?'

'It's a 3 year course'

'3 years?' he swallowed

'Are you just going to repeat everything I say?' she asked him 'I thought you said you read the forms'

'I did, they don't mention anything about spending 3 years in Paris' He licked his lips

'Well I won't be going so it's pointless even talking about it isn't it?' she frowned and she picked up her coke and took a sip

'If it's just money that's stopping you from going then maybe I can help you' he said 'Excuse me?' Lauren stared at him in disbelief 'I have a bit saved, I can let you have that and send you some money every month or so.. you can even pay me back if that makes you feel better?'

'I can't take your money' she shook her head and she pushed her plate away and she frowned 'You want me to go?' she sounded a little hurt

'No I don't want you to go but I want you to be happy. I'm not saying that I won't miss you, I will, but if this is what you want then I want to help you..besides it's not as though we'd never see each other again and we can talk on the phone all the time.' he told her

'You'd really do that, lend me the money I mean?' she asked him amazed

'Yeah course I would, isn't that what friends do?' Lauren licked her lips and nodded

'Yeah I suppose'she got up and emptied her plate into the bin. 'Thanks for the chips' she told him and she walked to the door

'Wait.. you're not leaving already are you?' he asked her 'I thought we were going to talk properly' he said She turned and she looked at him

'Aren't you supposed to be meeting Lucy in the Vic?'

'And Tyler and Whitney' he added 'But the company's better here' Lauren blinked and smiled at him with a faint blush crossing her cheeks. 'You could get a job save some more money' he suggested as they walked to the lounge.

'I've been fired from the Minute Mart, the Car Lot, the Gym and Booties' Lauren told him 'Mum and dad say I'm unemployable'

'Why did you get fired?' he asked her

'Branning temper apparently..poor customer service when you're telling someone they're a moron' Lauren walked to the window and looked across the square at her house.

'I'm surprised Lucy didn't ask you to work at the cafe or the chippie'  
'Really? Do I look like a server of greasy food?' she asked him a little offended by his suggestion. Joey laughed and shook his head

'No definitely not.' Joey licked his lips and he frowned slightly, 'Look Lauren.. I know that I shouldn't have taken off like that after Derek died but ..' he was cut off by his mobile ringing.

'Let me guess..Lucy?' Lauren looked at him. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and he looked at it and nodded 'You should probably answer it she'll only keep calling. I'm going to make some coffee if that's okay?' she headed towards the kitchen without waiting for a reply. She busied herself making coffee for the both of them Joey watched from the doorway.

'I told Lucy that I was busy' Joey said

'Yeah that'll make her back off... now you're just playing hard to get..in her eyes anyway' Lauren replied with a sigh, she turned and held out the coffee for him, when he didn't move she put it down on the table and picked her own up and stared down into the dark liquid. 'So where did you after Derek...'

'Mums' he replied 'I just needed to think to get away... I should have told you I was leaving...I didn't really think things through' he said to her and he moved into the room. 'I just needed to think about us...what was happening?'

'What and I didn't?' she frowned at him 'You turn up on Christmas day and tell me that you want to be with me, and then you just take off. I don't know about you Joey but I don't make a habit of going round kissing my cousins'

'Neither do I.. just you' he said softly, she took a sip of coffee and then put the cup down on the table.

'We shouldn't be together.. that's what Derek said.. you obviously think that too...'

'No I don't' Joey shook his head ' I do want to be with you Lauren'

'Yeah that's why you were flirting and kissing Lucy at the party, because you wanted to be with me' she replied with a frown.

'I was trying to make you jealous' he admitted 'But you didn't even react.. I thought you'd changed your mind about us ..about me'

'What was I supposed to do Joey? Make a scene at Whitney's... and besides you told me that I wasn't worth a second chance so...'

'I know what I said and I'm sorry.. it was just that Alice was there and I was surprised to see you...I messed things up didn't I?'he asked her 'Lauren look at me .. please' She sighed and she turned round and raised her eyes to his. 'I'm sorry..'

'I tried to call you when you were gone'

'I know, and I wanted to talk to you but I just didn't know what to say...I was still trying to figure things out...I know I pushed you away I know that I hurt you...'

'Yeah well I'm getting used to it' she replied looking down. Joey crossed the room and stopped in front of her,placing his finger under her chin he raised her head so she was looking at him

'I'm sorry, I really am' he told her softly. Lauren's heart pounded in her chest at the closeness of him, his fingers touching her face. She licked her lips 'I missed you' he murmured softly 'Every single day...and I don't regret kissing you'

'You were drunk, I'm surprised you remember it, just like I was drunk the first time we kissed.. or when I kissed you' Joey's hands cradled her face and he licked his lips, his eyes falling to her mouth

'Yeah well, we're both sober now' he replied and he slowly closed the distance between them, Lauren could feel his breath on her lips and her eyes fluttered closed as his lips touched hers tentatively, cautiously, her heart suddenly went into overdrive and she responded to his kiss and then suddenly she pushed him away

'No Joey... stop' she frowned at him 'We can't do this..'

**AN: Lauren's reaction is bit unexpected huh? Well keep reading.. back later...oh and R&R please.**


	6. Chapter 6

Joey frowned confused about Lauren's reaction 'What's wrong?' he asked her

'We're cousins Joey or have you forgotten that?' Lauren asked him 'We can't do this..'

'Why?' he asked her 'We both feel the same way don't we?' he licked his lips and he moved closer to his cousin 'You tell me that when we kiss that you don't feel the same way that I do.. you tell me that this feels wrong, because it doesn't to me' he told her, 'You want this as much as I do...' Lauren looked at him 'Don't you?' his voice was a whisper as he moved forward again to kiss her, she moved her head and he sighed 'Don't you..?' he said again and he slid one hand to her cheek and turned her face to his

'Yes' she whispered 'But..'

'But what?' he pressed her for an answer, she stared into his dark brown eyes and she knew she couldn't just walk away from him, she'd wanted this for so long and now that it was actually happening, he was right here in front of her, she couldn't deny herself this, she moved forward and kissed him, sliding one of her hands to the back of his head, fisting her hand in his hair, Joey responded instantly, his hands moving around her waist, pulling her closer to him, she felt his hand on the small of her back and she wrapped both arms around his neck, their lips moved in perfect synchronisation with each other, she moaned softly as his tongue tasted her bottom lip before sliding against her own, Joey spun her round suddenly and moved her towards the kitchen table, Lauren felt the table against her and she gave a small gasp as Joey started to lower her down onto it, his lips moved to her neck and he kissed, licked, sucked, and then bit down gently causing her to moan softly again, Joey smiled against her neck, he did it again and was rewarded by another soft moan, he moved his kisses back to her lips, frowning when he felt her pushing him away again.

'What's wrong?' he asked a little breathless

'There's someone at the door' she told him with a blush

'Ignore them they'll go away' he replied as he kissed her again

'Or they'll come round to the back and find us like this' she told him Joey groaned

'Okay okay I'll get rid of them' he said standing up, Lauren smiled shaking her head as she watched him leave the room. She took a deep breath and let it slowly. She could hear Joey talking at the door and she heard Lucy's voice. A few moments later the door closed

'Sorry.. Lucy came to try and persuade me to come to the pub' he said pushing his hands into his pockets

'You know you're going to have to tell her that you're not interested in her' she told him 'Not kissing her would probably have helped with that?'

'I'll talk to her' he told her as he walked over to her 'I promise' he put his hands on her waist and he squeezed gently 'Come here' he pulled her closer to him and wrapped her in his arms. She sighed and hugged him back, revelling at being in his arms. 'Why don't we go sit down hey talk some more?' he said, Lauren nodded, Joey let her go taking her hand in his, they both grabbed her coffee and led her into the lounge, they sat down close to each other on the sofa. 'So are you still running away?' he asked her

'I wasn't running away!' she exclaimed

'Yes you were..I bet you packed your teddy bear and everything'  
'Shut up' she slapped him lightly on the thigh

'Are you going home?'

'No not yet' she said with a sigh 'Mum and dad probably haven't noticed that I am not even there'

'Look if you ever feel that you want to get away you can always come here' he said to her, he got up and walked to the mantle and picked something up and brought it over to her 'Here' he held out his hand, a set of keys lay there. Lauren took them

'You're giving me keys to your house?' she asked him

'Yeah you can come here whenever you want to' he told her

'Won't Alice or Kat mind?'

'I live here too. And if I want my friends to come over they can' he said

'Friends?' she questioned 'Is that all we are?'

'You know what I mean..' he said softly 'Are you planning on going home tonight?' he asked her

'Hadn't really thought that far ahead to be honest, I thought I'd be on my way to Manchester by now' she admitted

'What's in Manchester?'

'Tyler's brother' she replied 'We talk a little.. send texts..we were friends' she replied 'Until Derek drove him away'

'Derek?' Joey frowned

'Yeah, he and Alice were getting close, Derek didn't like it and threatened Tyler and he left'

'How close?' Joey frowned

'They went out an a couple of dates, they liked each other' she shrugged 'I don't know all the details, Ant doesn't kiss and tell'

'Wait! What there was kissing?!' he exclaimed

'Figure of speech Joey' Lauren said and she smiled at him 'Although Alice did tell me that there was some kissing..' she teased him 'You know she's not a little girl Joey, sooner or later she's going to get a boyfriend and she's probably going to have sex with him.. a lot of sex'

Joey held up his hand 'Can we not .. I'd rather not have that visual in my head if you don't mind' he told her

'Sooner or later' she grinned at him.

'Can we change the subject please?' he asked her

'Sure what do you want to talk about?... oh hold that thought' she said as he phone started to ring she pulled it put of her pocket and pulled a face.

'Max?' Joey asked

'Lucy' Lauren replied, she rejected the call 'She's probably calling to bend my ear about you'

'I will talk to her' Joey promised again.

'Good' she replied.

'If you don't want to go home.. you can always stay here tonight.. Alice's room is free' he told her 'I can even call Tanya and tell her that you're keeping me company'

'You don't mind if I stay?'

'I wouldn't have offered if I did' he told her.

'Okay thanks' she smiled at him.

**AN: R&R thanks **


	7. Chapter 7

At 1:00pm Lauren yawned. 'It's getting late, we should get some sleep' Joey said 'Come on' he stood up and held out his hand. Lauren took it and he pulled her up and they walked to the stairs. She paused to pick up her bag and then let Joey lead her up the stairs. He stopped outside a door and opened it 'Alice's room' Lauren peered inside

'Wow.. it's really pink'

'Derek decorated it for her' Joey replied with a shrug, 'Well the bathroom is there' he pointed to the door to the right of Alice's room and my room is right across there' he said 'Why don't you use the bathroom first?'

'Okay thanks' she said and smiled 'Night'

'Night' Joey replied with a smile and he walked to his room and closed the door. Lauren felt a stab of disappointment that he hadn't at least kissed her goodnight, she sighed as she walked to the bathroom and shut the door, she found her toothbrush and toothpaste and cleaned her teeth and then took off her make up, finally she brushed her hair through and used the toilet. She smiled at her reflection and then, curiosity getting the better of her she peeked into the bathroom cabinet, she found 2 bottles of aftershave and picked one up, she took the top off and sniffed it, screwing her nose up, she recognised it as Derek's. She swapped it for the second bottle and sniffed that, smiling, that was definitely Joey's. She put a little on her wrist and put the bottle back in the cabinet and shut the door. She walked into Alice's room and looked around with a sigh

'When you get back Alice, we are so going to redecorate this room' she said quietly. She closed her door and heard Joey go into the bathroom. A few moments later she left the room and went to the bathroom, Joey was wearing grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt, he spat toothpaste into the sink

'Um .. I didn't pack anything to sleep in' she said Joey looked at her as he put his toothbrush back in the holder

'Here' he said as he pulled his t-shirt over his head 'you can borrow this' he told her. Lauren licked her lips as she saw his muscled torso, tearing her eyes away she looked up at him and reached out for the t-shirt

'Thanks' she said 'Night... again'

'Night' he echoed, Lauren turned and scurried back to her room, closing the door behind her. She changed quickly into Joey's t-shirt and sat down on the bed. After half an hour she got up and went downstairs to get some water and then crept back up the stairs, every single stair she stood on seemed to creak, she closed her eyes and tried to be quiet, she'd almost reached the top of the stairs when Joey's door opened. 'Everything okay?' he asked her

'Er yeah fine.. I was thirsty' she said and took a sip of the water ' I just got some water' she showed him the glass, mentally kicking herself for stating the obvious.

'You can't sleep either?' he asked her

'No' she said letting out a breath she didn't realise she was holding 'Things are kinda buzzing round in my head' she told him 'I'll try and be quiet' she said as she turned to go back into Alice's room

'Lauren?' he asked quietly. She turned and looked at him and he held his door open wider. Lauren swallowed and walked across the hall and into Joey's room, he shut the door behind her as she looked around 'Yeah I haven't unpacked yet.. wasn't sure that I was staying' he admitted to her. She put the glass down on the bedside table as Joey pulled back the covers and got into the bed 'Well are you just gonna stand there?' he asked her, she swallowed and pulled back the covers and climbed in beside, they both rolled over to face each other. 'Are you worrying about what people are going to say about us?' he asked her

'Is that what you are worrying about?' she deflected the question back at him

'A little I guess' he said 'It'll be a bit of a shock to everyone' he admitted 'It probably won't be easy.. I mean not everyone is going to understand...' he said and he licked his lips 'But as long as this is what we want, as long as we are happy.. there's really nothing anyone can do about it' he told her,

'This is what you want?' she questioned him 'Us...me?' Joey looked at her, seeing how vulnerable she looked and he nodded

'Yeah .. yeah it is' he said 'I fancied you the first moment I saw you in the square' he said honestly

'You did?' she licked her lips sounding surprised

'Yeah look at you, gorgeous, sexy, who wouldn't fancy you?' he asked her, he smiled at the faint blush that crossed her cheeks 'I just... you introduced yourself as my cousin and I figured that you were off limits, so I started seeing Lucy' he said 'I didn't have anywhere to stay, she made it pretty clear she was interested and she let me stay at her place rent free so...it was a win win situation, until I realised that you had feelings for me too, that's when I finished things with Lucy' he told her 'Lucy was just a bit of fun, a place to sleep, sex on tap' he said 'But you... you're different' he said with a frown 'Special, I want more with you.' Lauren licked her lips and she nodded

'I want that too' she replied. 'I really missed you Joey...next time you leave you have to promise to call me at least once'

'I'm not going anywhere' he told her 'This is where I need to be' he said and he moved forward and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear 'With you' he moved forward and he kissed her softly, pushing her back on to mattress. Lauren kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck when Joey suddenly pulled away from her and rolled on to his back,

'What's wrong?'she asked him 'Don't you want to...?'  
'I do Lauren.. believe me I do.. but I don't want you to think that's all that I want... I don't want to rush things with you' he licked his lips 'I want to take things slowly' he said, Lauren smiled and she moved into his arms.

'Me too' she admitted, Joey smiled and he kissed the top of her head

'Try and get some sleep okay?' he whispered softly.

'Okay.. you too' Lauren replied smiling to herself.

Lauren woke up the next morning to find herself alone in the bed, she got up, retrieved her rucksack from Alice's room and went into the bathroom. She showered and got dressed and stuffed the t-shirt she wore last night into her rucksack with a grin. She went back into Joey's room and made the bed and then made her way down the stairs. She put her bag by the door and followed the sounds that were coming out of the kitchen. Joey was making breakfast. 'Morning' Lauren said shyly as she walked into the room. Joey turned and he looked at her and smiled, his dimples showing in his cheeks

'Morning. Just in time for breakfast' he said 'Sit down' he placed a cup of coffee in front of her. 'Toast, bacon and eggs, cereal?'

'Actually coffee is fine, I don't really eat breakfast' she said, usually because she was either hung over and couldn't face food or she woke up at lunchtime.

'Oh well you do in this house.' Joey replied 'Mum always says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day' he told her. He buttered some toast and put it on a plate and set it down in front of her 'Eat' he instructed. Lauren smiled and picked up the toast and took a bite. He put some more bread in the toaster and licked his lips 'Did you sleep okay?' he asked her, she nodded

'Yeah actually I did.. best nights sleep for a while' she said truthfully

'Yeah same here' he said and he looked at her and he winked. We ate breakfast together quietly and then as Joey cleaned up I went into the lounge and I looked out of the window at my house.

'What are you thinking?' Joey asked me as he came into the room. Lauren sighed

'That I should go home, face the music' she replied.

'Just tell them that you stayed here' he said softly

'They probably won't believe me' she licked her lips and turned to look at Joey 'Thanks for letting me stay and for breakfast' she smiled at him

'You're welcome' he said and he moved forward and he kissed her softly. 'Listen.. I have to stock take at the club this morning so how about I meet you in the Vic at 1:00pm and I'll buy you lunch?' he asked her

'I'll see you at 1:00pm' she told him 'I better go' Joey nodded and he followed her to the door, she put on her coat and picked up her bags and left. She walked across the square and into her house, draping her coat on the hook on the door and dropping her bag by the stairs and she walked into the kitchen.

**AN: So just exactly how angry are Tanya and Max for Lauren staying out all night?... And what will her punishment be? Please review .. do you want me to continue with this story? thanks**


	8. Chapter 8

Tanya looked up as Lauren walked in 'Oh you're up early and dressed!' she said glancing at Lauren 'You wouldn't do us a favor would you, take this lot down the laundrette for me, my machine is on the blink again, oh and can you be here for 12:30pm, I've called an engineer out' Tanya said as she pushed a large bag of washing into Lauren's hands 'Thanks darling and here take this treat yourself' she pulled a 20 note out of her purse and stuffed it into her hand. 'Oh and there's some post for you on the kitchen table .. well I've got to rush Poppy's coming in late today. I'll see you later' she said and she rushed out of the room 'Oh you wouldn't just clear up the breakfast things would you thanks' Tanya yelled as she walked out of the house, the door slamming behind her. Lauren let out a breath and dumped the laundry bag on the chair and started to clean up the kitchen, once she'd finished she went into the lounge and picked up her post, tearing open her letter she saw it was from the GP reminding her that she had an appointment that day at 1:00pm. Lauren frowned and she picked up the laundry and walked over the car lot, and walked inside, her dad was on the phone and she waited patiently while he finished, he hung up the phone and looked at her

'What can I do for you Lauren?' he asked her

'Can you come home for the washing machine engineer at 12:30pm, I've got a doctor's appointment' she said

'No Lauren I can't, I'm going to an auction, can't your mum do it?'

'Busy at the salon apparently' she said with a shrug 'It's okay I'll text Abi, see if she can come home from College for lunch or something'

'All right' dad said 'I'll see you later' he smiled at her.

Lauren took the bag into the launderette and left the bag with Dot saying that she would come and pick it up later. She tried to call Abi but her phone was off, so she went to Booties, the salon was really busy and she could see her mum was rushed off her feet. She frowned and walked out and she sent a text to Joey.

Joey checked Sharon wasn't around as his phone beeped on the bar, he picked it up and read the text **_"Can't make lunch. Have to be in 2 places at once as it is. Sorry. L"_** he read, he typed a quick reply back.**_ "Dinner. My place 7:00pm Jx"_**

'Whitney!' Lauren yelled across the square as she saw her friend walking towards the cafe with Tyler, she ran towards them, 'Whit please I need a favour..what are you doing at lunch time?'

'Nothing why?' she asked

'I have to be somewhere at 1:00pm and mum's booked an engineer to look at the ashing machine some time after 12:30pm, will you please come over and wait for him until I get back please please...?' Lauren begged her

'Yeah all right, give me a bit of piece and quiet from the kids...'

'Yes!' Lauren exclaimed 'Brilliant you're a life saver thanks... buy you a drink next time we're in the Vic. See you at 12:30 yeah?'  
Whitney laughed as she watched Lauren run off

'She is mad I swear' Whitney said with a smile as she and Tyler walked into the Cafe.

Lauren walked into Booties and she caught her mum's attention. 'I thought you were doing the washing?'

'Yeah yeah I am Dot's watching it for me' she said 'Listen.. I've got a doctors appointment at 1:00pm so Whitney's gonna be at the house until I get back in case the engineer comes' Lauren told her 'Oh and I won't be in for dinner tonight. I'm going out with some college friends. I'll see you later' Lauren left before her mother could say anything and she went back to the launderette.

Lauren got home at 2:00pm just as the engineer was leaving 'Sorry Whit' she said 'I got here as quickly as I could' she told her 'So what was wrong with the machine?' Whitney held up a little plastic toy soldier, 'Oh Oscar washing his soldiers again' she nodded and grinned 'And how much did it cost?'

'£75'

'Mum'll be pleased! I really appreciate you doing this Whit.'

'Where did you get to anyway?'

'Doctors appointment' she replied 'He's worried about some test results so I had to go back and have them redone just to make sure no big deal' Lauren shrugged.

'Well when do you find out?' she asked her 'I don't know he said he'd call when the results came back.. he thinks it's something to do with the pill I'm taking' she looked at the time 'So do you want to have that drink now?' she asked her

'Yeah okay' Whitney nodded and the two girls headed to the Vic.

At 7:00pm Lauren checked her reflection in the mirror, she frowned at her makeup wondering if she'd over done things, going for the sultry smoky eyes hair was loose, gently curled around her shoulders, she glanced at the time wondering of she had time to redo it, keep it simple, 'Shit!' she realised she was late and she would have to go as she was. She looked down at her dress, her favourite blue tones bodycon contour dress and again considered changing and being late, she chewed on her bottom lip, gave herself a mental pep talk and sprayed a little perfume on her wrists and her throat and pulled on her coat. 'Lauren is that you?' Tanya called out as she made it to the bottom of the stairs

'Yeah it's me, I'm just leaving' she said, she picked up her keys and her bag, slipping it over her shoulder, she popped her head round the lounge door

'You look a little dressed up for a few drinks with your college mates' Max said looking at her

'Yeah well there was talk about going to a club later so ..' she shrugged '

'Ignore him' Tanya rolled her eyes 'You look lovely darling' Tanya said 'Have a good time and if you come in late try not to wake Oscar' she said, Tanya got up and followed Lauren to the door 'And if you're dressed up to impress a boy, you'll knock his socks off' she told her and she smiled at her daughter.

'It's just some mates from college' Lauren told her 'Anyway I'm running late so I will see you later.' she said Lauren crossed the square and took a deep breath, she glanced around to see if any one was watching and she walked up to Joey's door and knocked gently. As she heard his footsteps coming down the hall she panicked again that she had gone over the top with her clothes hair and makeup, and she considered, albeit briefly, bolting. The door opened and Lauren held her breath waiting for Joey's reaction.

**AN: Okay you may have another chapter today.. you may not.. You won't be getting so many updates each day as the real world calls me back next week. Hope you are enjoying it so far.. thank you for the reviews, really made me feel more confident in publishing. I will continue for now... not much lip licking in this chapter! R&R Enjoy..**

**Oh for Lauren's dress you might want to look at - Diva Serena contour two toned body con dress - blue.! **


	9. Chapter 9

The door swung open 'You're late' Joey said softly 'And why didn't you use your key ...wow!' he exclaimed as he saw her 'You look...' Lauren blushed as his eyes swept over her.

'Overdressed?' Lauren asked shyly

'No...not at all you look gorgeous, stunning' he told her, he swallowed as she stepped into the house and took off her coat, he closed the door behind her and she turned round to look at him, she was secretly pleased that he wasn't wearing jeans and a t-shirt, instead he was wearing black pants and a dark blue shirt.

'I wasn't sure what to wear.. I mean it's dinner and at your place not in a restaurant and I thought this was a date and I'm probably over dressed' she said and she looked down at herself again, Joey smiled at her babbling and he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear gently, she looked up at him

'You're perfect' he said softly 'And this is date' he told her 'I must have changed my shirt about 20 times' he confessed to her 'I'm not usually this nervous...' he trailed off as he saw Lauren's face light up in a smile

'You nervous? Joey Branning, famous ladies man?' she teased him Joey laughed

'Okay enough with the teasing you!' he told her, Lauren giggled and she reached into her bag and pulled put a bottle of white wine.

'I brought this' she said holding it out to him

'Thanks..I knew I'd forgotten something' he said and he took the bottle and then took her hand and he led her into the lounge. In place of the coffee table that usually sat in the middle of the room was the table from the kitchen, draped over it was a white table cloth, two places had been set, with napkins, glasses, and in the centre of the table sat two candles, their flames dancing happily, Lauren gasped in surprise

'Doesn't look like you've forgotten anything else' she said and she looked at him

'Too much?' he asked her feeling a little anxious, she shook her head

'No.. it's perfect' she told him, she saw Joey visibly relax

'Really.. good, because I've never done this before' he waved his hand at the table. 'I wasn't sure what you would like'

'I like this .. very much' she told him and she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Joey beamed at her

'Well you make yourself comfortable, I need to check on dinner and I'll open this' he said holding up the bottle of wine

'You're cooking?' surprise evident in her voice.

'Oh I'm a man of many talents' he told her with a cheeky grin and a wink.

Lauren swallowed as he left the room 'I'll bet' she muttered to herself with soft laugh. She took her phone out of her bag and she saw she had a missed call from Lucy and a text_** "Please call me I NEED to talk to you"**_ she read, she turned her phone off and dropped it back into her bag, she wasn't going to let anyone or anything spoil tonight. Joey returned with two glasses of wine and he handed one to Lauren and he sat down at the opposite end of the sofa.  
'Thank you, can I do anything to help?'

'Nope it's all under control' 'I'm really sorry about lunch' she told him 'Mum arranged for an engineer to come out for the washing machine, turns out Oscar's soldiers think it's a good hiding place from enemy attacks, and I had a doctors appointment that I totally forgot about' she explained to him 'Whitney helped me out though so..'

'Everything okay?' he asked her a little concerned

'What?'

'The doctors?'

'Oh yeah.. I just had an abnormal smear test, I had to go back and have another, it's not a big deal, it could have something to do with the pill I'm taking' she shrugged and then realised what she had told him 'Oh I'm sorry I didn't... I don't know why I just told you that...' she frowned at him 'That's more than I told Whitney and she's been my best friend for years' her cheeks coloured slightly Joey smiled

'I'm glad that you feel comfortable enough to talk to me' he told her as she gulped down some wine.

'So what are we eating?' Lauren asked him

'It's a surprise' he told her 'Should be another 15 minutes.. I hope you're hungry' he said to her She nodded

'I'm starved, I skipped lunch' Joey took a sip of wine and then he got up,

'I'll get the starters then' he said and he put his glass down on the table and went into the kitchen. Lauren stood up and walked over to the table and she took another sip of wine and then put her glass down on the table, she walked to the window and looked out and she saw Lucy cross the square and go up to her house and knock on the door, a few minutes later Tanya opened the door, she watched as they talked and Tanya shut the door and Lucy pulled out her phone. 'Okay one starter' Joey said as he came back into the room, she turned to see him put a prawn cocktail on the table, she walked over to her chair and he once again surprised her by pulling the chair put for her.

'Thank you' she said as she sat down. Joey seated himself and he looked at her expectantly as she started to eat. 'Mmm Joey this is really good, so when did you learn to cook?' she asked him

'Watching my mum, and she taught me a little. With Derek not being around and mum working ... I liked to help out' he said

They both ate their starters and Joey got up and took the empty dishes into the kitchen and then come back into the room with two plates, setting one in front of Lauren she saw it was her favorite, spaghetti bolognese.

I was thinking about you said yesterday about trying to find a job' Lauren told him 'And I've decided that I need to be proactive about it and I am going to spend the day tomorrow typing up a CV and then I am post it through every single business in Walford' she told him 'Maybe then next year I could reapply for the college in Paris'

'See that's a start' he told her with a smile 'And I'll talk to Sharon see if there are any jobs going at the club' he told her

'Thanks' she said as she took a mouthful of food 'Mmm, Joey this is delicious' she told him closing her eyes as she savoured the taste

'Made it from scratch' he told her 'Old family recipe, added a few extras' he said as he topped up her wine glass.

The main course was over and Joey went back into the kitchen with the plates,she drank some more wine and Joey returned with two little pots 'Okay so I usually only make this for Alice so you are very privileged' he told her with a grin 'May I present the Joey Branning Chocolate Mousse surprise' he said. Lauren giggled as he put one of the dishes down in front of her 'I love chocolate mousse' she licked her lips in anticipation and took a spoonful

'Oh...my..god... this is amazing' she told him 'This is better than anything I've ever tasted... this is better than ... sex' she said

'Thank you for the compliment' Joey said 'But I have to say that if you think this is better than sex then clearly you haven't been having sex with the right person' he replied, a sexy smirk on his face. 'I'll happily volunteer to show you what you've been missing out on' Lauren choked on her mousse and picked up her wine and took a long drink.

'Joseph Branning!' she exclaimed when she had recovered, her face flushed scarlet, Joey laughed softly as he topped their glasses up again, she looked up at him and giggled 'Shame on you!'

'You should do that more often' Joey told her

'Choke?'

'Laugh, I like it' he replied

After dinner had finished, Joey refused to let Lauren help clean up and he made coffee and brought it into the lounge, he moved the table out of the way and he turned on the cd player, soft background music filled the room. Lauren sat down on the sofa with her wine. 'I'm officially impressed, I had no idea that you could cook like that' she told him

'There's a lot of things about me that you don't know' he replied

'Well then I look forward to finding out' she smiled at him

'There's no time like the present' Joey said sitting down 'Ask me anything'

Lauren grinned at him 'Are you serious?' she asked him

'Yep'

'And you'll answer honestly?'

'100% truthfully... and you have to too' he told her

'All right' she nodded and she pretended to think 'We'll start with simple ones.. favourite colour?'

'Right now it's that shade of blue' he said pointing at her dress 'You?'

'Black..everything goes with black' she told him 'First kiss'

'Ah.. Sarah Robinson, we were 6, we dated for all of 5 minutes'

'What happened?'

'I kissed her friend'

'Old habits die hard huh?' she teased him reminding him of the Lucy/Whitney incident

'Hey! Play nice' he scolded her playfully 'Your first kiss?'

'Mmm, I was 5. His name was Simon Matthews and he stole my last gummy bear so I punched him' she told him 'He followed me around for weeks...'she smiled as she remembered.

'Well some guys like the dominant female' Joey grinned at her 'Favourite band'

'Oh.. that's a tough one... it depends on my mood... I'm currently into Muse' she told him 'Oh and Kings of Leon'

'Good taste in music.. okay so first time you had sex'

'I was 15...and it happened at the allotments in granddad's shed' she confessed blushing yet again 'And it was ...interesting' she said with a frown.

'And he was..'

'Also 15.' she told him 'Peter Beale'

'Lucy's brother?' Joey asked and Lauren nodded 'Yeah we dated for a while' she said 'Then I caught him kissing someone else and dumped him' she told him

'What about you?'

'Well I was 14, she was 18' he watched her reaction as he told her 'I was tall for my age and I lied and told her I was 17...we hooked up a few times but it was nothing serious' he told her 'Kinda fizzled out when she wanted more'

Lauren sipped her wine 'Favourite memory' she said

'When Derek went to jail' he replied, his answer taking Lauren by surprise 'I remember feeling so relieved when mum told me he wouldn't be coming back for a long time. I was 7 years old'

'You don't really talk about what happened much' she said

'There's not much to talk about. He used to do dodgy deals, smack my mum around, me...' he frowned as he remembered 'Alice was only 3 when he went to jail, she was too young to remember anything and what we've told her she didn't believe..hence her moving to Walford to find him'  
'

Joey I'm sorry' Lauren said and she put her glass down and the floor and moved closer to him on the sofa 'I shouldn't have asked' she frowned and he could see she looked upset with herself

'Hey it's okay.. it doesn't bother me anymore' he reassured her 'I just don't normally talk about it, it's no one's business' he replied. Lauren licked her lips

'After Peter cheated on me, I started going out a lot, getting drunk at parties and having sex with random guys...mum and dad found out about the drinking and they shipped me off to summer school in America' she told him ' That was their way of dealing with the problem, they thought it would straighten me out' she laughed and she looked at him 'Turns out it didn't. I just carried on with the way I acted here in America until ...well lets just say I had a wake up call and I came back to Walford.' she told him 'Mum and dad don't know what I did in America no one does.. well Derek did...' she trailed off and stood up suddenly and walked to the window and peered out she frowned seeing Lucy standing on the pavement staring at Joey's house.

'Looks like you have a stalker' she told him. Joey got up and looked put of the window, he snorted and closed the curtains and flicked on the lamp, Lucy noticed the movement and she stared at the window. She saw the silhouettes of two people, she frowned wondering who they were.

Joey put his hands on her shoulders and he turned her round to face him 'Hey we don't have to tell each other everything tonight, we have plenty of time to tell each other our deepest darkest secrets' he saw Lauren's gaze fall to his mouth and her lips parted slightly 'And besides, there are other ways to get to know each other' he murmured as he lowered his lips to hers.

Lucy stared stunned as the couple behind the curtains merged into one and then disappeared from view. She frowned and tried to call Lauren again, going through to voice mail for the 6th time she left another message **_"Lauren.. urgh! Where the hell are you... some best friend you turn out to be... Call me when you get this please"_** she hung up and marched to the Vic.

**AN: Okay so this is your last chapter for today...it is a big one ! Wonder what Lauren and Joey doing?... R&R if you want more... x **


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: This is absolutely the last chapter that you are getting today... enjoy. Thank you for the reviews such kind words, I'm glad you are liking this. ENjoy and as always R&R. x **

Lucy walked into the Vic and saw Whitney and Tyler she walked over to them 'So you didn't go out with Lauren and her college friends then' she said as she sat down

'We're not doing the same courses' Whitney said 'She's allowed to have other friends Luce'

'Not when one of her best friends needs her' she said with a scowl 'She's even switched off her phone'

'Yeah she mentioned that they might end up going clubbing. You can talk to me. What's up?' Whitney asked her

'Joey' Lucy replied

'What about Joey?' Whitney and Tyler exchanged glances

'I'll get some more drinks, Lucy?'

'Vodka tonic please' she replied as Tyler got up and walked to the bar

'Well he was flirting with me at your party and he kissed me and now he's acting like it didn't happen. We were supposed to meet here last night and he didn't show up and when I went round to see him he said that he was busy and that he didn't definitely say he was coming'

'Well he didn't, me and Ty were there too when you suggested we all go out for a drink' she said to her

Lucy ignored her and continued with her rant 'I think he had someone there, he wouldn't let me in and then tonight, I was going over to see him and I saw someone else in the house through the window.. I'm pretty sure they were kissing'

'You don't know if it was Joey' Whitney said 'It could have been Alice or Kat.. You know what she's like' Whitney said 'Look have you tried talking to Joey about it?'

'Well no.. But..'

'I think you need to talk to Joey as him what's going on' she said to her 'You know his dad's just died his head is bound to be all over the place, he probably doesn't know what he's doing' Whitney told her 'I'm sure there's an explanation'

'Maybe' Lucy said with a frown. 'I'll talk to him tomorrow' she said with a sigh as Tyler returned with the drinks.

Meanwhile back at Joey's, the couple were involved in a pretty serious make out session on the sofa. Lauren was underneath him and whilst they were both still fully clothed, Joey was feeling more turned on than he could ever remember being. Joey groaned softly as Lauren's nails gently scrapped his back as she sucked and kissed his neck. She shifted slightly beneath him and he felt her leg curl around his, her foot sliding up his calf, he groaned again, what was this girl doing to him he thought, her simplest touch or movement had him spiralling rapidly out of control, he felt her lips travelling along his jaw and he turned his head and their lips met, her tongue sliding into his mouth seeking out his, he shifted slightly, accidentally on purpose pushing his hips against hers, she moaned softly into his mouth as she felt his arousal, her nails dug into his back this time, causing Joey to moan again. He reluctant ended the kiss and he looked down at her

'As much as I can't believe I am going to say this and as much as I don't want to say this…..' he took a breath 'You really need to go' he told her, he brushed his nose against hers,

'Mmhmm' she nodded her head and then raised her lips to his, he met them with another kiss, a few more moments passed and he pulled away again

'This isn't you leaving' he mumbled in between kisses. 'Seriously babe you need to go, before this goes further than it should' he broke the kiss again and looked down at Lauren, her eyes were sparkling, her cheeks slightly flushed and her lips were swollen from their kisses, she smiled up at him and moved one hand to his chest and she pushed gently.

'Then you need to move so I can' she told him she started to move forward as Joey moved backwards, they managed to get off of the sofa, Lauren straightened her dress and put her shoes back on her feet, she looked at Joey as she ran her fingers through her hair, he smiled at her and he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear and his fingers grazed her cheek. He moved forward again and he kissed her, Lauren's arms automatically wound around his neck, he pulled her tight against him and he started walking her backwards out of the room. This time Lauren broke the kiss with a soft giggle, she turned away from Joey and put her coat on and picked up her bag 'Okay this is me' she said as she walked backwards towards the door, Joey followed 'I'm going' she bit down lightly on her bottom lip and then turned and opened the door. She paused and then turned back to look at Joey. 'Thank you for dinner'

'You're welcome' he told her with a smile 'Just don't go round telling people about the cooking, the candles.. I've got a tough guy image to uphold' he teased her

'I promise' she grinned at him.

'Come here you' Joey said as he slid one hand around her waist and he drew her back into his arms, he kissed her softly, tenderly and then he smiled at her 'I'll see you tomorrow' he said softly, she nodded.

'Night' she replied and she moved out of his arms and opened the front door and left, closing it behind her.

Joey smiled and he shook his head, laughing at himself for actually having to kick a girl out because he wanted to have sex with her. He walked down the hall and into the kitchen and started to clean up.

Lauren grinned to herself as she walked across the square towards her house, she unlocked the door quietly and crept up the stairs to her room. She shut the door and got changed for bed, she took her makeup off and went to the bathroom to clean her teeth. She climbed into bed and grabbed her phone and turned it on. She saw she has 14 missed calls from Lucy 6 voice mails and 25 texts. She was about to put the phone on her bedside table when it vibrated in her hand

"_**I had a really good time tonight. Sleep well Jx"**_

Lauren smiled and typed a reply

"_**Me too.. already tucked up in bed wearing the t-shirt I stole last night" Lx**_


	11. Chapter 11

The next day Lauren was sitting in the kitchen on her mobile when she heard someone at the door

'Oh hold on a second, just need to go to the door' she said getting up and walking the short distance to the front door. 'Oh hey come in I'm running late' she said smiling at Whitney

'Who is it?' the voice on the phone asked her

'It's Whitney if you really have to know Mr Nosey' she grinned and looked at Whitney

'Tell her I said hi'

'Ant says hi'

'Hi Ant' Whitney called down the phone,

'Happy now?'

'Yes thank you'

'Good okay well I have to go I was supposed to be meeting Whitney and Tyler in the Vic and yes I will tell Tyler exactly what you told me'

'You'd better'

'I Will promise, okay I gotta go… talk to you later byeeeee!' she hung up 'I'm so sorry Whit, Ant called and you know what he can be like…..'

'You are never on time for anything' Whitney rolled her eyes 'Me and Ty are starving!'

'Okay, okay I'm sorry I'm coming' Lauren told her 'Keep your hair on' she grabbed her coat, bag and keys and pushed her phone into her pocket, locking the house behind her she walked with Whitney towards the Vic.

'Have you spoken to Lucy yet?' Whitney asked her 'Only she was looking for you last night, been calling you texting you'

'No I haven't spoken to her' she replied 'I had 14 missed calls, 6 voice mails and 25 text messages that got ruder each time' Lauren told her 'Can you give me the short version?'

'Joey' Whitney said

'Joey? Still? I thought she'd got it all off her chest the other day' Lauren frowned

'Yeah well apparently not. Now she thinks he's avoiding her, feeling guilty about the flirting and the kiss' she said 'Has he said anything to you about it?'

'We talked about it a little but that's between me and Joey…I'm not breaking his confidence and I didn't break Lucy's' she lied. 'And I told Joey that I don't want to be in the middle'

We walked into the Vic 'Finally!' Tyler exclaimed 'Can we order some food now?'

'Sure, Whit and I will have our usual'sheI said grinning at him as he walked to the bar, we sat down 'So how did you leave things with Lucy?'

'I told her that she had to talk to him ask him outright what's going on' Whitney told me as she picked up her drink and took a sip. 'Oh that's yours by the way' she pointed at the second glass,

'And what did she say?' she asked

'That she would talk to him'

'Oh right yeah well that makes sense I guess' Tyler came back and sat down 'Oh Tyler I have a message for you from your brother' Lauren told him 'Which is why I was late, he has been trying to call to you, he needs to speak to you urgently and he said something about you being a lowlife lying scumbag and that he's ashamed to be your much handsomer young brother' she said with a grin.

'That sounds like him' Tyler said 'I'll give him a ring tonight' he said 'You girls are going clubbing aren't you?'

'What's this, this is the first I've heard' Lauren looked at Whitney expectantly

'Lucy's idea actually' she said 'She probably would have asked you if you called her back'

'Let me guess R&R?' Lauren asked

'Probably… Oh I didn't tell you… Lucy thinks that Joey had a girl over at his place last night'

'Why would should think that?' Lauren frowned

'Well she was going round to see him and she said that she saw the curtains close downstairs and then two people kissing…'

'Could have been Kat or Alice with someone' Lauren took mouthful of drink and her phone beeped, she pulled it out of her pocket and looked at it and then laughed loudly and held it out to Tyler

'What is the idiot doing?' Tyler laughed at the message from his brother 'I'll text him back' he said and he started to use Lauren's phone,

'Hey!' Lauren exclaimed snatching the phone back 'Use your own credit!'

'Yes that's exactly what I told her' Whitney said with a grin

'Except that I know for a fact that Alice has gone to see her mum' Lauren said 'But Kat's whereabouts I can't vouch for'

'Well maybe it was Joey?' Whitney said 'Oh he's here, go ask him' she said nudging her causing her to spill her drink. 'Oh sorry babes!' she grinned at her

'Excuse me while I go dry my top' Lauren said and she got up

'Ask Joey on your way passed' Whitney said. Lauren rolled her eyes and she walked towards the toilets. She walked passed Joey and as she turned the corner she glanced up at him, he saw her and smiled giving her a wink, he saw Lauren smiling as she lowered her head and disappeared into the ladies.

He brought a beer and he looked over at Tyler and Whitney, he went over 'Mind if I join you'

'Free country mate' Tyler said nodding

Joey sat down and he yawned suddenly 'Late night Joey?' Whitney asked him

'Yeah actually it was' he said and he scratched his chin

Lauren came back to the table and Joey moved so she could squeeze in beside him 'Do you ever listen to your voicemails?' he asked her

'I haven't today why?' she asked him as she pulled out her phone and she glanced at it

'I've been trying to call you. Your phone has been engaged practically all morning;

'Sorry I was on the phone to Ant, I hadn't spoken to him in ages and we had a lot to catch up on' she explained to him 'What did you want?' she looked at him

'Well I spoke to Sharon and I asked her if there were any jobs going at the club and she told me that she'd just filled the vacant bar staff post this morning, but she'll add your name to the list…'

'Full of good news today aren't you' Lauren interrupted him

'I haven't finished' he scolded her 'And then we got talking about maybe rebranding the club, maybe some advertising, but Sharon wasn't sure if she had enough money to cover a big firm coming in to do it so I told her about your drawings…' Lauren narrowed her eyes at him 'And after a lot of persuading, she's agreed to meet you at 3pm to go through her ideas and give you a shot at designing something, the pays not great but it's a chance to show everyone what you can do' he said 'So all you have to do is bring your sketch book' and pencil' he looked at her waiting for her to yell at him,

'Are you serious?' she raised her eyebrows at him

'Yes, it's all set up' he nodded

'Joey I don't know what to say' she said and she grinned at him and then she flung herself at him and hugged him, he laughed at her 'Oh you are the best' she told him 'Thank you'

'I've just done the easy part' he said 'The rest is down to you'

Lauren grinned and she took a drink of her vodka and lemonade and put it down on the table 'We'll definitely go to the club tonight, If it works out we can celebrate, if it doesn't you can all help me drown my sorrows.' She told them 'Joey, you'll come'

'I'll already be there, I'm working tonight, traded last night' he said

'Speaking of last night ' Whitney said , Lauren kicked her under the table 'What, he brought it up' she glared at Lauren 'Lucy said ….'

'I've already spoken to Lucy' Joey said 'And yes I've told her that I'm not interested in a relationship with her and yes I had someone over last night' he told us

'Who?' Whitney asked him

'A girl' Joey said 'And that's all I'm going to say on the subject' he said, the food was brought over and Joey stole a chip from my plate.

Lauren's phone vibrated and I picked it up and looked at it, 'Oh it's Lucy…she wants me to go over to the café' Lauren said as her phone vibrated again 'Oh now mum wants me' she sighed ''Okay I'm going to have to go' she told them, she pulled some money out of her purse and gave it to Tyler, she picked up her burger and took a couple of bites and then drank the rest of her drink in one, 'I'll see you later' she told them, Joey moved to let her out and she smiled up at him 'Thank you again' she told him.

'Meet you at the club at 8:00' Whitney said 'Good luck this afternoon'

'Thanks' Lauren grinned at her.

**AN so what do Lucy and Tanya want and how will Lauren do with her meeting with Sharon and will Joey and Lauren get to be alone again soon? Keep reading and reviewing and enoying, if you are lucky you may get another chapter tonight! x**


	12. Chapter 12

Lauren decided she would go to Booties first, the lesser of two evils. Tanya looked up as she walked in,

'You summoned?' Lauren said

'Oh Lauren thank god, I'm in a bit if a pickle' she said 'I need you to pick Oscar up from school, I'm booked her and your father has gone to an auction'

'Oh mum I can't' Lauren told her 'I've got something on'

'Oh come on Lauren don't be difficult, I hardly ever ask you to do anything and the one time that I do you conveniently have something to do' Tanya frowned at her 'Drinking with your friends in the pub no doubt'

'Actually I'm meeting Sharon at 3pm, she may have a job for me'

'Oh well just give her a ring, rearrange I'm sure she won't mind' Tanya said

Lauren frowned at her 'No mum I can't, Joey set it up for me, If I cancel it'll look bad on him, he's vouched for me. Can't you text Abi, she walks right passed his school on her way home from Sixth form.

'She's meeting some friends when she finishes' mum said 'Oh well I suppose I'll have to sort something out' Tanya sighed 'Thank you Lauren!'

Lauren frowned at her and walked out of the salon with a sigh. She headed over the café, not looking forward to seeing Lucy.

She opened the door and let Carol out 'Hi' she smiled at her

'Oh hello Lauren' Carol smiled back 'I'd watch out if I were you, Lucy's in a foul mood, she's biting everyone's head off'

'Thanks for the warning' Lauren said 'I'll see you later' Lauren took a deep breath and then walked to the Counter 'All right Luce?' she asked

'Finally! Where have you been!' Lucy scowled at her 'I've been texting you and leaving voice mails since last night'

'I have got a life of my own Lucy!' Lauren snapped at her 'I'm not just here to be at everyone's beck and call' Lucy looked surprised at Lauren's angry tone

'What's up with you?' she asked her, 'Tell you what sit down and I'll bring you a coffee over' she told her, Lauren did as she was told and a few minutes later Lucy sat down with two coffees. 'What are you upset about?' Lucy asked her

'Mum asked me to pick up Oscar and when I said I couldn't went off on one' Lauren said 'I have possible job interview and she wanted to me to rearrange' Lauren told her and she picked up her coffee and took a sip 'One minute she's moaning because I don't have a job and then when I get an interview she wants me to cancel it so I can babysit my brother, oh and Abi can't possibly pick him up because she's going out with friends, I mean what's more important, Abi's social life or a potential job for me?' Lauren licked her lips and looked at Lucy 'Okay rant over'

'Well I can get dad to pick up Oscar, I mean he's picking up Bobby anyway?' she said

'You're best not getting involved Luce to be honest' Lauren said 'But thanks' she sighed 'So you wanted to talk to me?'

'What's the job about?' Lucy asked her

'You know can I tell you about it if it actually happens?' she asked her 'I don't want to jinx it or anything'

'Yeah okay..you can tell us at the club tonight. You me Whitney' she said

'And Tyler and Joey..well Joey's going to be working.. so technically….' She trailed off as Lucy looked down. 'So I take it you've spoken to Joey?' Lucy looked up at her in surprise 'Whitney filled me in' she added. 'Look Lucy…you know what Joey's like .. I mean you were with him for a while and you have to admit it wasn't exactly a happy relationship.' She said

'Yeah I know but that was before I really understood that I was probably being too clingy or too engrossed in my businesses…' she said 'And he was flirting with me at Whitney's party, he kissed me and now he saying that he made a mistake that he's seeing someone else' she looked at me expectantly 'Has he said anything to you about this other girl?'

Lauren swallowed 'Look I'm going to tell you exactly what I told Joey.. he told me that he flirted with you and he kissed you and he feels really bad that he let you believe that he was interested in a relationship with you… you're my friend Lucy, one of my best friends and Joey's my ...friend too and I don't want to be piggy in the middle here' she said 'I'm sorry.. but I can't' she told her 'If you want my advice, I would forget about Joey and move on and try and find someone else' Lauren told her

'Do you think it's serious with this other girl?' Lucy asked her and then she smiled and shook her head 'No Joey doesn't do serious, she's just new…..he'll get tired of her sooner or later' she said and she licked her lips 'And in the meantime I'll just keep flirting with him, I mean he was interested before wasn't he? Who says he won't be again?'

'Joey did' Lauren said softly 'Look Lucy I can't tell you what to do, but if I were you, I wouldn't get my hopes up' she said, she took a mouthful of coffee and glanced at the clock on the wall it was 2:00pm 'Oh crap is that the time? I am really sorry Lucy but I need to go I have to get ready for the interview' Lauren said and she stood up and she pulled her wallet out of her bag

'You don't have to pay me for the coffee' Lucy said 'Best friends get free coffee' Lucy smiled at her

'Thanks Luce' Lauren said pushing her wallet back into her bag as she walked to the door

'Good luck!' Lucy called after her

'Thanks' she replied.

Lauren closed her eyes as she stepped out of the café as guilt washed over her. Her best friend was still clearly hung up over Joey and although Lucy has said that Joey had told her he was seeing someone else it was clear to Lauren that Lucy didn't think it would last and that she still thought she stood a chance with him. And Lauren knew that Lucy would do all that she could to get Joey's attention. The happiness that she had felt since she and Joey had decided that they had to be together suddenly felt wrong, tainted. She needed to see him, needed to talk to him…but first she had an interview to get to and hopefully land a job so that her parents would, for once, be proud of her.

**AN: Is Lauren thinking about breaking up with Joey for the sake of her best friend Lucy's feelings?**

**Will she impress Sharon and get a chance to make Max and Tanya proud of her? **

**Thank you for all your reviews, I'm glad you are enjoying this it is a pleasure to write. Until next time. X **


	13. Chapter 13

Lauren paused outside the club, pulled out a mirror and checked her makeup and then her finally she glanced down at her clothes, she was wearing a fitted crop suit jacket and trousers and a cream blouse underneath she was satisfied that she looked okay she pulled open the doors of the club and made her way down the stairs. At the bottom she took a deep breath and she walked into the club, expecting to see Sharon waiting for her she was surprised to see Joey bottling up behind the bar, he looked up at her she crossed the room and put her art folder down on the bar.

'Hello' he smiled 'Wow look at you another stunning outfit' he said appraising her

'Is it too much?' she asked him 'I wanted to make the right impression you know, that I'm serious about wanting to work, that I can do a good job if Sharon gives me the chance' she told him

'You look great, very professional, very hot' he told her as he moved out from behind the bar, she looked at him and swallowed nervously, she glanced around anxiously

'Thank you. Is Sharon here, I know I'm a little early but it's good to be a little early right, shows that you are keen and a good time keeper' she said as he slipped his arms around her waist

'No Sharon's not here yet' he told her

'Oh, the time was 3pm?' she asked him with a frown 'You did say 3pm?'

'Did I say 3pm, I meant 3:30pm' he told her softly 'So I guess that means that you have 45 minutes to kill' he told her as he licked his lips 'So I guess I could help you fill that time .. you know if you wanted?' he said. Lauren smiled at him

'Oh? You could?' And tell me Joey what exactly did you have in mind?' she raised her eyebrows questioningly,

Joey took a deep breath and looked up pretending to think 'Well we could talk about … the weather' he said

'Mmhmm, or?' Lauren's hands moved to his forearms, he slowly pulled her closer to him, his face moving closer to hers

'Or I could tell you how to win Sharon over with my insider knowledge' Lauren felt Joey's breath on her lips

'Or?' Lauren whispered softly as she slid her hands up his arms to his shoulders, feeling the muscles beneath his sleeves

'Or we could do this' Joey whispered and he kissed her softly, a short brief kiss, a teaser 'It's up to you' he told her

'Mmmm' Lauren sighed, she leaned in again 'So this insider information…..' she said just as she was about to kiss him, Joey laughed

'Shut up' he murmured as he drew her into another kiss, Lauren giggled softly as his lips met hers again. She slid her hands to his head, her fingers stroking his hair at the nape of his neck, she felt his tongue lightly taste her lips and she moved her hands to his shoulders and then his chest and she pushed him gently, breaking this kiss,

'Joey…' she said, he pulled back to look at her

'What is it? What's wrong?' he asked her with concern

'We need to talk. About Lucy' she told him

'Lucy?' he echoed? Lauren nodded and she reached around to remove his hands from her waist and she took one of his hands and led him to the sofas in the corner of the club, they both sat down and she let her hand go.

'You did talk to her?' Lauren asked him, he nodded

'I saw her in the café before I came into the Vic. I told her that I made a mistake, that I was sorry and that I didn't want to start up our relationship. I told her that I was seeing someone else'

She nodded 'That's what Lucy said you said' Lauren told him, she twisted her hands in her lap 'She still has feelings for you …she's convinced herself that all she needs to do is show you what you're missing and that you'll dump this new girl and go back to her. She's prepared to do some major flirting' she looked up at him 'She asked me if I knew who it was you were seeing ….. Joey she's my best friend and I feel terrible for lying to her' she told him 'She's confiding in me about how she feels for you asking my advice about what she can do to win you back and I feel like such a cow …'

'You're not' Joey said 'Hey' he took one of her hands in his 'We will tell people about us….but now isn't the right time, not with Derek's funeral coming up' he told me 'I meant what I said, I want to be with you Lauren, and I don't care what people might think about us when they do find out…. All I care about is how you feel' he said 'Do you really want to stop seeing me just because you feel guilty about Lucy?

'No' she shook her head

'You have nothing to feel guilty about, Lucy and I are over. We were over a long time before you and I first kissed.'

'I know but…'

'But what?' he asked her 'If the situation was in reverse would Lucy ignore her feelings for a guy if you liked him?'

'No' Lauren shook her head 'That doesn't stop Lucy. You could be in a relationship with someone and if Lucy decides she wants him she'll do whatever it takes to get him'

Joey frowned 'What do you mean?'

'She stole a boyfriend once' she said with a sigh 'It's a long story.. one of the too early to tell you ones' she gave him a small apologetic smile

'Ah okay another one of those… how many of those do you have exactly?' he asked 'I'm only asking because I'm trying to work out how much emotional baggage you have' he teased her

'Like you don't have any' she retorted

'Okay so we both have emotional baggage' he said with a laugh. 'What I'm saying is that if we stop seeing each other, I am not going to get back with Lucy. You are the one that I'm interested in. That won't change and we've already tried staying away from each other and that didn't work out so well for either of us' he told her

Lauren closed the distance between them and she kissed him gently and pressed her forehead against his.

'I don't want to stop seeing you' she murmured softly 'I can't'

'Me either' he replied. I'm already in too deep'

**AN: Thank you for your lovely reviews, I am so glad that you are enjoying this story! You may or may not get another chapter tonight. Enjoy and as always R&R xx**


	14. Chapter 14

Joey and Lauren pulled apart as they heard footsteps coming down the stairs of the club

'Joey?' Sharon called out

Lauren looked at him and quickly wiped her lipstick off his lips, he grinned her

'Not my colour?' he teased

Lauren rolled her eyes and stood up 'Do I look okay?' she asked him again

'You look fine. Good luck babe' he said and he stole another quick kiss as they stood up 'I'm in the bar, Lauren's here' he called back.

Sharon came into view 'Oh Lauren I'm sorry I'm late' she apologised 'Denny was being a nightmare' she told her

'It's okay' Lauren smiled at her

'Have you been here long?' Sharon asked

'Five or ten minutes' Joey replied before Lauren could say anything. 'Gave us a chance to catch up a little' Joey squeezed Lauren's shoulders as he walked passed her 'Good luck' he said softly.

'Well are we ready then?' Sharon asked Lauren 'We'll go into my office'

'Yeah I'm ready' Lauren nodded and she followed Sharon, she glanced at Joey just before she disappeared into the office and he winked at her, she smiled shyly.

'Well take a seat Lauren' she said 'I take Joey's filled you in a little bit?'

'He's not really said much' she said 'He told me that you wanted to see some of my drawings so I brought them in, but I left the case on the bar'

'Don't worry, pop out and get them' she said , Lauren turned to go back Just as Joey appeared with the art folder

'Thought you might need these' he said

'Thank you' Lauren took the folder from him, Sharon watched from behind her desk as they held each others gaze a little longer than necessary.

'Thank you Joey' Sharon said, Lauren turned and she put the folder down on Sharon's desk, Sharon thought she could see a faint blush on her cheeks 'Well let's have a look then' Sharon said reaching for the folder.

Long minutes passed and Lauren sat nervously in her seat, chewing on her bottom lips as Sharon took her time going the drawings, her expression giving nothing away. She studied one drawing for a little longer than she did the others and she nodded her head and then looked at up Lauren.

'Well, Joey said you were good, I have to admit I was expecting this' Sharon said and she looked back down at the picture that she was holding 'He's a big fan of yours' she told her 'And you've captured his likeness to a tee.' She turned the picture round and Lauren was mortified as she saw a picture of Joey, she felt her face flush bright red .

'I thought I'd taken those out' Lauren said and she swallowed and avoided Sharon's gaze.

'So why don't I tell you what I'm looking for?' Sharon continued.

'Okay. Do you mind if I take notes?' Lauren asked her

'I'd be worried if you didn't' Sharon smiled at her.

Lauren took notes as Sharon described what she wanted the brand of the club to be, 45 minutes later Lauren looked up from her notes 'I can have something for you in a couple of days?' she told Sharon

'Really, that quick?' she raised her eyebrows in surprise

'Well I have a lot of free time'

'Okay, well I'm excited to see what you come up with' Sharon said 'Of course I can't promise anything, we'll have to get Phil's approval too and like I told Joey it won't pay much'

'I'm just glad of the opportunity' Lauren told her and she picked up her folder 'I won't let you down Sharon' she said with a smile.

'I'll see you out' Sharon told her and she stood up and she followed Lauren out of her office and to the stairs of the club 'You call me when you're ready to show me a draft okay'

Lauren nodded 'I will' she told her with a smile 'Thanks again Sharon'

'You're welcome' she replied with a smile. As Lauren left the club Sharon turned and walked back to her office

'Well?' Joey asked her

'Well what Joey?' Sharon paused and she looked at him 'Did I offer Lauren the job?'

'Well yeah'

'She's going to draw up some drafts and we'll take things from there' she told him 'But yes you were right, she is really good. I particular like her portraits' she said. Joey blinked and frowned slightly, confused. Sharon walked a few more steps 'Oh and Joey, that shade of lipstick doesn't suit you'

Joey wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and looked at the faint smear of lipstick and then glanced towards Sharon's office.

**AN: So Joey and Lauren have been discovered already? What will her parents think about the good news… Will she be celebrating at the club tonight or will something get in the way? R&R as always and enjoy reading. **


	15. Chapter 15

Lauren walked into the house with a huge grin on her face 'Lauren is that you?' Tanya called out from the kitchen

'Yeah' she called back, she leant her art folder against the wall and shrugged her jacket off and headed towards the kitchen

'Great you're back. Can you watch Oscar, Poppy's just called there's been someone sort of incident with some hair dye at the salon and I need to go and sort it out' Tanya said as she breezed past her and went into the lounge to grab her keys and bag, 'Oh and can you make a start on dinner and there's washing in the machine, can you sort that out for me too?' Tanya went back into the kitchen and looked at Lauren 'Oh you look nice' she paused and then smiled 'Alright I'll be back when I can' she said and she was gone before Lauren could say anything.

'Yeah the job interview went great.. thanks for asking' Lauren muttered, Oscar came into the room and he grinned at her

'Hi Lolly' he said

'Hey you. Okay let's get you set up with a video shall we'

'Fireman Sam!' he squealed

'Fireman Sam it is' she took his hand and led him back into the lounge. Once he was settled she rushed upstairs and hurriedly got changed into black jeans and t-shirt and she went downstairs.

The phone rang and she grabbed it 'Hello?'

''It's me' Tanya said 'I forgot to tell you, I invited Joey for dinner so you need to do enough for 6, he was looking sorry for himself in the café earlier. I think he and Lucy had fight, such a shame, they make such a lovely couple. Anyway I'll see you later'

Lauren put the phone down and went into the kitchen. In between doing the chores Tanya had left for her she regularly checked on Oscar to make sure he was entertained.

Once dinner was underway she laid the table and then flopped down on to the sofa with Oscar, he looked up at her and he smiled at her 'I love you Lolly' he said

'I love you too Butt monkey' Lauren replied as her little brother crawled on to her lap to give her a hug, she kissed the top of his head 'Did you have fun at school today?'

'Uh-huh played Spider man with Bobby' he told her, someone knocked on the door and Lauren got hold carrying Oscar

'Shall we see who it is?'

'Yeah'

'Who do you think it is Oscar?' she asked him

'The Easter Bunny!' he said firmly

'Wow the Easter Bunny hey shall we see?' Lauren opened the door 'Oh it's just Joey' Lauren said looking at her brother 'Shall we let him in?'

'No!' Oscar shouted 'I want the Easter Bunny!'

'Ok then' Lauren started to shut the door

'Hey!' Joey exclaimed 'I brought chocolate'

'Oh did you hear that? Joey brought chocolate, shall we let him in now?'

'Yes. In Joey!' Oscar squealed, she held the door open for him and he came in and handed a small rabbit shaped chocolate bar to Oscar

'What do you say Oscar?' Lauren prompted him

'Thank you Joey' Oscar said and he wriggled in her arms, she put him down and crouched down to his level

'Do you want me to open that for you?' She asked him

'No! Joey do it!' he exclaimed

'Okay then why don't you take Joey into the lounge' she told him and she stood up and looked at Joey 'I need to check on dinner' she told him

'Okay' Joey nodded 'Come on Oscar' Joey took his hand and they went into the lounge. Lauren went into the kitchen and checked on the chicken casserole she had made and then opened the fridge, she grabbed a beer for Joey and went back into the lounge and she handed Joey the beer 'Can you watch him for a second I need to go the bathroom?'

'Yeah of course' Joey said nodding, he looked up at her 'Are you okay?'

'Yeah I'm fine' she told him 'back in a second' she told him

Once upstairs she went into her room and she opened the drawer on her bedside table, pulling out the bottle of vodka she stared at it for a few seconds, she licked her lips and then unscrewed the lid and took a long drink, closing her eyes she replaced the lid and hid the bottle back in her drawer. She popped into the bathroom and flushed the toilet and walked to the top of the stairs. She took a deep breath and then descended the stairs.

'Have you eaten all that already?' Lauren asked Oscar as she walked into the lounge, Oscar turned and nodded and smiled at her, watery chocolate dripped down his chin, Lauren and Joey laughed 'Oh my goodness, let's clean you up Butt monkey' Lauren said as she pulled a tissue out of the box on the coffee table. Joey laughed as Oscar screwed up his face as Lauren cleaned the chocolate off 'There that's much better a clean little Butt monkey' Lauren smiled at her brother and she tickled him gently, he squealed and giggled

'He's just had chocolate Lauren, you might make him sick' Joey warned her, Lauren glanced at him

'You're right' he said and she turned her attention back to Oscar 'You have a reprieve'

Oscar leant forward and whispered in her ear 'Is Joey ticklish?' she grinned

'I don't know if Joey's ticklish, why don't you find out, I'll go get you some juice' I told him and she went into the kitchen. She put the chocolate wrapper and tissue in the bin and made Oscar some juice, she could hear Joey laughing and calling for help and she laughed shaking her head. She washed her hands. She put Oscar's juice on the coffee table and bent down and scooped Oscar off of Joey 'Okay I think he's had enough, why don't you go find your trucks so you can show Joey?'

'Okay' Oscar replied as Lauren put him on his feet 'Do you like trucks Joey?' he asked him

'I love trucks' Joey nodded as Lauren sat down beside him on the sofa. Oscar scampered away to his toy box.

'Where's my chocolate?' Lauren asked Joey

'I've got you something better than chocolate' Joey told her

'Vodka?'

Joey's brow creased slightly at her reply and he shook his head 'No, much better than vodka' he replied and his eyes fell to her lips and he leant towards her,

'Found them! Oscar reappeared suddenly and Lauren laughed

'The joys of a young brother, poor timing' she said, Joey sighed and turned to look at Oscar

'Wow let's have a look at them' Joey said as Oscar put three trucks on Joey's lap 'Which one is your favourite?'

'The red one' Oscar announced 'Lolly brought it for me'

'She did … she must be a brilliant big sister buying you a great truck?'

Oscar nodded 'She's the best'

'Yeah she is' Joey said and he looked at Lauren, he saw her blush slightly

'And she's ticklish' Oscar told him

'She is?' Joey raised his eyebrow 'That's good to know' Joey grinned mischievously and whispered in Oscars ear, Lauren frowned as a grin spread across Oscar's face. She squealed as Joey suddenly lunged at her and he pushed her back onto the sofa and Oscar started to tickle her,

'No! Please! Don't' she squealed, Joey laughed as her young brother tormented her. Her t-shirt had ridden up and Oscar blew a raspberry on her exposed stomach 'No Oscar!' she laughed and screwed her eyes shut 'Stop. Stop' she felt Joey's fingers start tickling her too.

'Mmm you're right she is ticklish' Joey said laughing as Oscar blew another raspberry on her stomach, Lauren had tears of laughter rolling down her face

'Please stop please….' Laure begged them both

'Okay I think she's had enough' Joey said taking pity on her 'Oscar why don't you go upstairs find a book you want to read?' Joey said to him as he let Lauren go.

'Okay' Oscar said and he ran out of the room,

'Be careful on the stairs Oscar' Lauren called out as she straightened her t-shirt, as she sat up

'You should do that more often' Joey said softly

'What, get attacked by you two?' she asked him with a smile as she wiped her eyes

'Laugh' he replied, he watched as Lauren's smile faded and the sparkle from her eyes faded

'Yeah well there's not much to laugh about is there' she told him and she started to stand up, joey frowned and he caught her hand kept her from moving

'Hey, I spoke to Sharon, she was really impressed with your drawings' he told her 'and she's excited to see what you come up with. I am too' he replied

'Yeah well you're the only ones' she replied softly.

'What your mum didn't say anything?' he asked her surprised

'She didn't even ask how it went, just barked orders at me and left' Lauren told him

'Well, maybe she just had a lot on her mind, I'm sure she'll mention it later' Joey said 'Hey, babe' he touched her cheek and she looked at him, he moved forward to kiss her, she pulled away

'Don't. Oscar could walk back in any minute' she told him 'and I need to go check on dinner' she told him. Joey let her go and Oscar bounded back into the room.

Tanya came back half an hour later just as Lauren had finished laying the table and she went into the kitchen.

'Everything okay at the Salon?' Lauren asked

'Yes, just some woman who changed her mind about the colour and refused to pay' Tanya said and she looked around the kitchen 'Oh you've done everything' she said sounding surprised

'You asked me to' Lauren replied 'Joey and Oscar are reading a book in the lounge

'Can you lay the table?'

'Just done it' Lauren told her 'and dinner should be ready in 20 minutes'

'And how's Joey?' she asked me

'He's fine' Lauren said with a frown 'why wouldn't he be?'

'He's just lost his dad Lauren' Tanya frowned at her 'A little compassion wouldn't go amiss'

'Derek was a bully, if you ask me it's no great loss' Lauren replied and she turned to the fridge to get some juice

'Sssh! Keep your voice down he might hear you' Tanya hissed at her 'Honestly Lauren I don't know what's gotten in to you lately.'

Lauren frowned at her 'What's that supposed to mean?' she looked at her mother

'These fancy ideas you've got about going to art school In France. Look I know you like drawing your little sketches darling, but honestly where is that going to get you in life hey? Look at your sister, she's studying really hard at Sixth form she's got her A-level exams coming up, she wants to be a teacher and she's working really hard to achieve her dreams. But look at you, you lie on that sofa watching TV all day, that when you're not at college…when you actually go…which is very rare these days…'

'I go to college' Lauren protested

'When? You haven't been this week'

'My tutors sick' Lauren told her angrily

'You go out clubbing until all hours when you roll in drunk. I mean what kind of example does that set for Abi and Oscar hey?' Tanya continued

'I like having a good time' Lauren said 'I'm 19 I'm entitled to a social life' she snapped at Tanya 'I'm sorry that I am such a disappointment to you, that I'm not as clever as Abi. That I actually want to pursue my dreams and not end up married to a serial cheater, tied down with 3 kids and running a crappy salon for the rest of my life' Lauren shouted at her. Tanya blinked surprised at Lauren's sudden outburst. 'I'm really sorry that I can't be more like your precious Abi' Lauren marched out of the kitchen and she grabbed her coat and bag and slammed the front door shut behind her, she stopped at the Minute Mart and brought half a bottle of vodka and headed off towards the allotments.

**AN: IS it just Tanya that Lauren's angry at? Will Tanya go after her? Keep reading to find out. **

**Thank you for the reviews I read all of them and reply to the ones that I can and to my guest reviewers who I can't reply to ..thank you ..keep reading and enjoy and as always R&R. **


	16. Chapter 16

Lauren crossed the road at the end of Bridge Street when she heard someone calling her name. She turned and she saw Tyler running towards her.

'Hey are you okay?' he asked her 'I just saw you in the Minute Mart and you didn't even say hello' he said as he stopped in front of her.

'Oh sorry Ty, I was miles away' Lauren told him

'Where are you heading?' he asked her

'The allotments' she said with a sigh

'Alone?'

'Not exactly' she said and she licked her lips 'I just brought a little company in the Minute Mart'

'Oh I see' Tyler said and he took a deep breath and he blew it out slowly 'you didn't get the job then?'

'Actually I did…well a trial run anyway' she said

'Yeah, hey that's really great. Well done you' he said with a grin genuinely please for her and he punched her lightly on the shoulder. 'See, you're more than a pretty face aren't you?'

'Thanks' she replied and she smiled up at him '

'So if you got the job then why are heading to the allotments?' he asked me

'Row with mum' Lauren explained to him

'Wanna talk about it? I'll buy you a drink in the Vic' he said. Lauren looked at him and she nodded

'Yeah you know what I'd like that' she said and she linked her arm through his and they walked to the Vic. Tyler brought 2 cokes and they sat down at the table

'So this row, what was it about? Same old stuff?' '

'Same old stuff' Lauren nodded.

'Look you know what I think. You need to move out of there. Get a place of your own, a little independence. Show your mum that you're nothing like she thinks you are' he told her 'not act the way she expects you to. Show her the Lauren that I know' he said softly. 'Because she is really great'

Lauren looked at him and she smiled as she felt her anger ebb away 'You're like the angel on my shoulder, mum is the devil'

Tyler smiled 'I'm happy to help' he told her 'So knowing you and your Branning temper whatever you mum said to you, you probably said some things back that you wish you hadn't' Lauren nodded 'So forget about the allotments and go home and apologise, be the bigger person' he said

Lauren closed her eyes and she signed 'You're right thanks' she said and she got up 'I'll swap the vodka for some wine' she told him 'Take that back as a peace offering' she picked up her drink and took a long drink 'Thanks Ty.. you're the best' she told him and she leant across the table and kissed his cheek 'Whitney's a lucky girl'

'I know' he grinned at her.

'Max is that you?' Tanya called out as the front door opened and closed

'No it's me' Lauren called out and she walked into the kitchen and she put the 2 bottles of wine down on the table 'I brought some wine for dinner' she told Tanya and she licked her lips 'I'm sorry about what I said I didn't mean it. You know what I'm like speak first think later' she told her 'Well I'm going to rescue Joey from Oscar' she said and she turned to go

'Lauren….' She turned back to look at Tanya 'I'm sorry too' she said 'I had a bad day and I took it out on the first person I saw' she explained 'Why don't I pour us both a glass of wine hey?' she asked her 'We can have a little chat?'

Lauren licked her lips and she shook her head 'Maybe later' she said as she went to find Joey and Oscar. Joey looked up at her as she walked into the room, she bent down and scooped Oscar off the sofa and she sat down with him on her lap, close to Joey

'Are you okay?' Joey asked her, she knew that he had overheard the argument in the kitchen, she turned her head to look at him and she nodded 'Yeah, yeah I'm fine' she told him 'Branning temper' she raised her eyebrows at him 'It's already blown over' she told him

'Where did you go?' he asked her

'Can we talk about it later?' she replied, he nodded

'Sure' he said as Tanya came

'Well we're just waiting on Max and Abi and then we can eat' she said as she sat down with a glass of wine. 'So how are you and Alice coping Joey?'

'I'm coping just fine' he replied 'Not like me and Derek were close is it?' he said a little snappishly 'Alice on the other hand is a mess, it helps that she has Lauren to talk to, she's been really good' Tanya looked at her surprised

'Really?'

'Yeah she helped Alice pick the music for the funeral, the flower, she's been a big help' he told her

'Oh.. Oh I didn't know that' Tanya said and she looked at Lauren 'You didn't say' Lauren shrugged

'Lolly, what's this word?' Oscar asked her, she looked over his shoulder at the book

'wheels' she said

'Wheels' Oscar repeated and he continued to read

'Did Lauren get you a drink?' Tanya asked him

'Yes thanks' Joey said as Ma and Abi came in

'Oh about time!' Tanya said 'Right I'll go dish up, 'Lauren can you take Oscar to ash his hands' she said as she got up and went into the kitchen. Lauren got up with Oscar

'Come on you hands' she said as she set him down on his feet and put the book on the coffee table.

'Joey too! Oscar exclaimed

'Yes and Joey needs to wash his hands too' Lauren smiled, Joey got up and they walked to the stairs.

'Hold my hand butt monkey' Lauren said, Oscar did as he told her and then he looked at Joey

'Hold Lauren's hand so you don't fall' he told him, Lauren felt Joey slip his hand into hers, the innocent gesture made her heart sputter in her chest, she bit down on her bottom lip and the three of the walked single file up the stairs all holding hands. Oscar went into the bathroom first, Lauren went into help and the little boy glared at her

'Oscar can do it!' he frowned

'Okay. I'll wait outside' she told him and she pulled the almost closed, she turned to look at Joey

'Do you want to come back to my place after the club tonight?' Joey asked her 'Alice is back tomorrow so we won't have much time to be together' he looked at her 'We can talk'

''Just talk?' she asked him with a smile

'Well we could do other things' he said and he smiled at her, she felt her insides tremble slightly

'It's a date' she replied with a grin

'Yeah?'

'Yeah' she said and she moved forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips, she knew that he wanted to kiss her again, that he wanted more and she did too but they would have to wait until later.

At dinner Joey was surprised that the conversation was steered around Abi and Oscar and Max and Tanya, , no one talked about Lauren or asked her about her day, he felt angry about this and decided to change the topic of conversation,

'So Sharon told me that she's excited to see what Lauren's ideas are for the rebranding of the club' he said

Max looked at him and then at Lauren 'What's this?' he asked her

Lauren looked up at Max and finished chewing the mouthful of food that she had and swallowed 'Oh yeah, she's asked me to design a new logo and some adverting leaflets' Lauren told him 'I met with her today and she's given me her ideas and I shared mine and I just need to turn them into designs' she told him 'I'm meeting her again on Friday' she said

'How much does it pay?' Max asked her

'Well we didn't talk about that… it's just'

'That's the first rule of business Lauren, always find out how much you are going to get paid, when you are going to get paid before you agree to take on a job' Max said. He looked at Tanya 'This is really good babe' he said pointing at his plate with his fork

'Thanks' Tanya replied and the conversation moved back to Abi.

Joey closed his eyes regretting saying anything, because he could see on Lauren's face that she was hurt by the casual way Max brushed her off.

'I thought Lauren cooked' Joey said determined that Lauren was going to get some appreciation.

'Oh well yeah she did' Tanya said looking up at Joey with a confused frown on her face at his interest in Lauren, Max's attention once again turned to his eldest daughter, Lauren knew what was coming and she shifted in her chair

'Yeah, finally found something you're good at besides lounging around on the sofa all day hey?' he teased her. Lauren forced a smile on her face

'Yeah guess so' she said. Joey noticed she didn't eat anything else. When everyone had finished and stood up Abi started to clean the plates away.

'Lauren will do that' Max said to her 'Why don't you go and get your laptop and show me the dress you want' he told her

Lauren sighed and she picked up the plates as her parents and siblings went into the lounge. Joey started to gather the plates up too.

Hey Joey leave those, come and sit down, tell me how the funeral arrangements are coming'

'Alice is taking care of them' he replied with a shrug and he went into the kitchen, he shut the kitchen door behind him,

'I'm sorry' Joey said as he put the plates next to the sink

'It's not your fault. Just an everyday dinner in the Branning Household' ' she said and she looked up and met his eyes in the reflection in the window. He walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him, he lowered his head to her neck and placed two open mouthed kisses to her neck, his tongue tasting the skin beneath, he felt her shiver in his arms.

'_I'm_ proud of you babe' he whispered in her ear softly.

**AN: So was Tyler stopping Lauren instead of Joey or Tanya a surprise? I hope so….. thanks for the reviews….. enjoy. Guess you'll have til tomorrow until Joey and Lauren find themselves alone again...oh well...I may be persuaded .. you know what you have to do.. R&R **


	17. Chapter 17

Joey looked up and saw Whitney, Tyler, Fatboy, Poppy and Lucy walk into the club, he frowned when he didn't see Lauren, wondering where she was, if she would be coming tonight or if things had kicked off at home again after he left. He let out a sigh of relief as she walked in and he laughed at himself, shaking his head. He never usually cared like this, if a girl he was "seeing" didn't show up he would just find someone else to take home instead, hell he was even doing that when he was with Lucy, but Lauren, he knew that he would never do that to her. Lauren was different. The way he felt about Lauren was different, he felt very protective of her. He eyes followed her and she walked through the club following her friends. He was attracted to Lauren he couldn't deny that, he had been since he first saw her. She was gorgeous, beautiful, she had a great figure, not that you could always see it, she liked wearing oversized jumpers, not tonight though, he let his gaze wander over her as she sat down. Tonight she was wearing a very short black tight miniskirt that only just covered her bottom, and a very tight fitting t-topped purple basque top that sparkled when the light caught it. She looked hot. Very hot, He licked his lips and his groin tightened.

'Joey! When you're done drooling do you think you could actually do what I pay you to do?' Sharon's voice close to his ear startled him and he physically jumped.

'Er yeah right' he stammered and he glanced down the bar and saw someone waving money impatiently.

He worked his way along the bar, smiling and joking with some regulars he recognised, he saw someone out of the corner of his eye, working on autopilot he spoke

'Yes what can I get you?' he asked without looking at his latest customer, his eyes scanning the club for Lauren.

'Three vodka cokes, one vodka tonic and two beers please' a voice said, Joey smiled recognising the voice and he turned and his eyes met Laurens.

'Coming up' he said. 'Uncle Max let you out like that?' he nodded his head in her direction.

'He's over at the Vic with mum' she replied 'He didn't see' she licked her lips and leant forward on the bar 'Why don't you like it?' she asked him grinning when she saw Joey's eyes fall to her cleavage albeit for a split second.

'Me and every other red blooded male in the room' Joey replied a little petulantly, suddenly wishing she'd chosen to come out in one of those oversized jumpers she favoured. He set the drinks out in front of her, his eyes widened as she reached into the front of her basque to pull out some money. His groin jumped again.

'Keep the change' she smiled at him as she picked up three of the drinks and carry them back to the table. Tyler came up to the bar and collected the rest

'You all right mate?' Tyler asked him 'You look a little flustered'

'I'm okay… look do me a favour will you? Keep an eye on Lauren tonight?' he asked him

'Always do mate' Tyler replied 'although I think there are a few other guys in here tonight that are keeping more than one eye on her!'

'Yeah that's what I'm worried about' Joey said

'Don't worry I'll keep her out of trouble' Tyler said nodding his head.

The bar got busier as the pubs emptied and the club filled. Joey was annoyed that he couldn't keep his eye on Lauren and that he would have to trust Tyler with her wellbeing. He grabbed the last of the tonic waters and finished serving the customers.

'Hey Marcus…' he called to his partner behind the bar 'I'll be back in a minute, we're out of mixers' Marcus nodded and Joey went into the office to get the keys to the cellar.

'Everything going okay Joey?' Sharon asked him

'Yeah we're out of mixers' he said 'I'm just getting some more' he told her as he took the keys off the hook, he turned to walk out of the door

'Be careful Joey' she said

'I'm only going down into the cellar' he chuckled

'I meant with your cousin' she said

Joey froze and then turned to look at her 'There's nothing going on with me and Lauren' he said

'Lauren the only cousin you got in Albert square?' Sharon asked him and he knew she had caught him out. She sighed 'Look I don't want to pry here Joey, all I'm saying is that I've been where you two are now. I've done the sneaking around, lying to my family and friends, and when everyone finds out well….that's not going to be easy. You'll have Max to deal with and Jack, he adores his niece' Joey licked his lips and he swallowed

'What you think I'm scared of them?' he asked her 'Have you forgotten who my father was? I can take care of myself'

'It's not you that you should be worried about' Sharon replied.

'Why don't you let me worry about Lauren?' Joey asked her

'I just don't want to see her get hurt Joey that's all' Sharon said 'She deserves better than being another notch on your bedpost' she said, anger flashed in Joey's eyes 'First Lucy, then Whitney, now Lauren? Really?'

'It's not like that with Lauren' Joey told her 'And it's none of your business.' He snapped at her angrily, 'We're out of mixers' he said and walked out of the office,

He returned to the bar, pushing the cellar keys into his pockets, he glanced around the club and saw Lauren, Whitney, Lucy and Poppy on the dance floor. Lauren and Whitney were dancing very provocatively together to Madonna's "Like a Virgin" attracting attention of several of the male blooded clubbers. Joey wasn't sure if his anger had something to do with the conversation with Sharon or the display Whitney and Lauren were putting on or the male attention they were getting, he knew that if it wasn't for the fact that the bar was so busy he would have leapt over the bar and dragged Lauren off the dance floor. He was relieved 10 minutes later when they left the dance floor and Lauren and Whitney headed towards the bar, they seated themselves and Joey walked over to them, Lauren immediately knew something was wrong by the way he was clenching his teeth, making his jaw twitch.

'Yes girls?' Joey asked them both

'Two cokes please' Whitney said 'and if anyone buys us a drink from now on can you just give me and Lauren cokes?' she asked him

'Sure' he nodded. He got them their drinks and he put a red mixer stick in them, Whitney reached for some money

'On the house' he said, Lauren noticed that he didn't look at her and she wondered whether or not she had upset.

'I'm just gonna go to the ladies, watch my drink?' Whitney asked Lauren and she nodded, she watched her walk away and the slowly turned back to Joey

'Are you okay?' Lauren asked him. Joey ignored her and turned to Marcus.

'Hey. I'm taking my break' he called out. Marcus raised his hand to let him know it was okay. Joey walked out from behind the bar with a beer and he sat down next to Lauren. She licked her lips suddenly worried.

'What is it?' she asked him

'Sharon knows' he replied 'about us'

'Oh'

'Oh?' Joey looked at her 'Is that all you've got to say?' he asked her

'What do you want me to say?' she asked him 'I mean people are going to find out about us eventually aren't they? Okay so Sharon knowing is a little sooner than we would have liked but it's not a big deal …. Is it?' she asked him

'Well it's not exactly ideal is it? She is engaged to Uncle Jack' Joey replied

'Okay well then I guess we need to have a talk girl to girl' she said and she slid off the stool and she walked to the office, Joey watched stunned. Lauren knocked on the door and Sharon looked up 'Can we talk?' Lauren asked her

'Of course, come in, shut the door' Sharon said, Lauren closed the door and she was towards the desk and sat down in the chair 'What can I do for you?'

'Well it's just that Joey told me that you know about us, that Joey and I are more than just cousins'

Sharon took a breath and let it out slowly 'Yes… I didn't mean to upset him, I just wanted to warn him that things aren't going to be easy for the pair of you' she said

'We know that' Lauren replied 'we're not doing anything wrong. We will tell people about us just when we've figured us out' she told Sharon 'We're not sleeping together' surprise crossed Sharon's face 'Not that we don't want to' Lauren added 'We do but we want to take things slowly, take time to work out what we're feeling' she said 'Joey's worried that you'll tell Jack'

'I wouldn't do that' Sharon told her 'It's going to be difficult enough when you two do come clean without someone telling everyone before you're ready. If you ever need to talk, I know what you're going through' she told her

'Because of Dennis?' Lauren asked and she nodded 'I know. I mean I remember' she told her 'I know your mum's best friend….;

'She's not going to hear anything from me.' Sharon promised her. 'Be careful Lauren'

Lauren nodded 'We will be' she said and she frowned 'Was it the picture that gave us away?' she asked

'That and the fact that Joey was wearing the exact same shade lipstick you had on. Not to mention he was practically drooling on my bar the second you walked in'

'He was?' Lauren sounded surprised and then she smiled.

'Yes. Poor boys been watching you like a hawk all night while he's stuck behind the bar' Sharon said shaking her head 'Go on go and tell him you have an ally' Sharon smiled at her

Lauren left and returned to Joey who looked at her expectantly, she picked up her drink and took sip and pulled herself back up on the stool 'Well?' Joey asked her

'She's fine' Lauren said 'She won't tell anyone'

'Are you serious' he asked he and she nodded.

'Yeah. Her husband Dennis, he was her step brother, so she kind of understands us' Lauren told him

'Oh' Joey frowned 'I didn't know that'

'Well maybe you should listen more before you get angry and storm off' she replied raising her glass to her lips. 'So no harm done right?' she asked him, he looked at her and then his eyes wandered over her chest again and then to the very exposed flesh of her thighs.

'Oh I wouldn't say that' he told her 'I've practically had a hard on all night since you walked in!' he said as Whitney re-joined them. Lauren spluttered on her drink and she felt her cheeks colouring. She put her glass down and glanced at Joey and she could see him smirking

'You all right there Lauren?' Whitney asked patting her on the back lightly.

Lauren coughed and then cleared her throat 'Er yeah….. just went down the wrong tube' she told her friend 'I'm okay' She could hear Joey sniggering to himself as he took a swig from his beer bottle.

**AN: Sorry this chapter had to be cut into two… but as a treat you're getting this chapter and another today. Chapter 18…. Lauren and Joey get horny and hot! Thanks for all the reviews…. Enjoy and as always R&R**


	18. Chapter 18

The next three hours dragged for the couple. Joey kept glancing over at the table Lauren was seated at. Sharon rolled her eyes as he did for the fifteenth time in as many seconds,

'Go on go, just be back here in the morning to clean up' she told him

'Really?'

'Yes go, before I change my mind' she told him.

'Thanks and thanks for what you told Lauren.'

'You're welcome' she replied with a smile.

Joey went into the office and he grabbed his keys and put them in his pocket, he hung the cellar keys back on the hook and then he eagerly made his way over to his friends.

'All right' he said as he reached them, he looked for a seat, Lucy suddenly sat up straight and shifted along the sofa she was sitting on

'There's a space next to me Joey ' she smiled sweetly as she patted the seat.

'Thanks, but I promised Uncle Max that I would get this one home at a decent hour tonight' he gestured at Lauren 'you ready to go?' he asked her

She looked up at him 'You finished already?'

'Yep. Sharon's covering behind the bar for the rest of the night' he told her 'So come on get up.'

Lauren sighed dramatically and stood up 'Okay guys thanks for tonight. I'll see you all later' she said 'Deputy Dad has to take me home now apparently' she rolled her eyes.

'See you tomorrow' they all said.

Lucy looked disappointed that Joey wasn't saying. 'Can't you come back after you've taken Lauren home?

'I'm shattered, all I want is a shower and my bed' he replied

'Maybe next time then' Lucy asked him. Joey looked at her and then he turned to me

'Come on you out!' he pushed Lauren lightly.

They paused at the cloakroom to get Lauren's coat. She pulled it on and did it up and then they headed towards Joeys.

'So how come Sharon let you go early?' Lauren asked him

'Took pity on me I guess' he said as he pulled his keys out of his pocket.

'Will Kat be home?'

'Dunno' he shrugged. Lauren looked around as they reached Joey's house to make sure no one was looking, he fumbled with keys for a few seconds before the door finally opened and they hurried inside. Lauren was undoing her coat when suddenly Joey pounced on her. Pressing her up against the wall, he kissed her hungrily, his tongue plunging into her mouth. She gasped at the attack and wrapped her arms around his neck, meeting his demanding kiss. He turned her suddenly and he walked her towards the stairs, she stumbled and they both fell, Lauren started to giggle.

'Ssh!' Joey scolded her 'If Kat is here you'll wake her, maybe Tommy too' he was laughing too. He stood up and then held out his hands to help her up. He kept hold of her hands when she was upright and then he led her up the stairs to his room. They crept into the room and he shut and locked the door. Lauren swallowed suddenly nervous, Joey turned and looked at her

'Don't look so nervous' he said with a smile as he stalked over to her 'I didn't bring you up here so we could have sex' he told her 'If Kat isn't home yet I'd hate for her to walk in on us in the lounge' he licked his lips as he rested his hands on her hips 'But that doesn't mean that I can't show you how much I love that outfit' he told her as he walked her backwards towards the bed. She sat down on it and scooted backwards as Joey climbed onto the bed, their lips met in another hot hungry kiss. Lauren could feel Joey's very evident erection pressed against her thigh, she pushed him onto his back and then straddled him.

'So you like my outfit do you?' she asked him, as she started to undo his shirt

'Can't you tell?' he asked her as he moved his hands to her hips and pulled her down against him. She nodded and Joey felt her hands on his stomach,, she ran her hands over his torso feeling the muscles ripple beneath them, she followed her hands with her eyes and she gazed in awe at his unblemished tight taut stomach, the rather impressive six pack that jumped when her hands ran over them, she ran her hands over his chest, feeling his hard pectoral muscles beneath them, his nipples looked like little red berries, She smiled at him and she leant down and she licked one, causing Joey to moan and pull her down even harder against his erection, thrusting up slightly against her, she kissed his nipple and then peppered his chest with little open mouthed kisses before she moved to his neck, he felt her lips brush lightly against his earlobe and then she sucked it lightly, running her tongue over it.

''Babe… you're killing me here' Joey mumbled, using all his will power not to roll her onto her back, rip her clothes off and sink himself into her.

'Well since I'm the one who get you all hot and bothered it seems only fair that I take care of it for you' she murmured against his lips. He felt her scoot lower and sit on his legs as her fingers made quick work of the button and zipper on his pants

'Lauren … you don't have to….' He started to say as he felt her reach into his boxer shorts and take him into her hand, but his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he felt her stroking him slowly but firmly, he suddenly forgot how to form words. She peeked down at him and her mouth popped open at the impressive size of him, she peered at him through her lashes. His eyes were shut, a small frown marring his forehead and he was breathing fast. She smiled licked her lips and she bent her head. His eyes snapped open as Lauren licked his length like a lollipop, her tongue swirled around the head and then suddenly without warning she took him into her mouth. 'Jesus Lauren!' he gasped, his hands clenched the bed covers as he fought the urge to explode right there and then. She held him loosely at the base and then began to move her head up and down slowly sucking lightly, Joey groaned gripping the covers even tighter. Her mouth on him felt divine, the moistness, the warmth, the sucking, every few moments she would take him nearly all the way out of her mouth and swirl her tongue over the tip before he was engulfed back into her mouth. 'Lauren!' he said urgently a few minutes later, losing the fight with his impending orgasm, 'Babe I'm close' he warned her, either Lauren didn't hear or she didn't care and she swirled her tongue around his tip again and then took him into her mouth again as deep as she could, which Joey thought, impressively, was pretty deep, she hummed softly in her throat and that was Joey's undoing, his orgasm hit him like a steam roller, he cried out her name and she felt him pulsing in her mouth and then she could taste him, she swallowed eagerly until he stopped pulsing and then very softly she licked him clean, pressed a light kiss to his head and tucked him back into his boxer shorts, she kissed his washboard stomach and trailed her lips up his chest, back to his neck, Joey was gasping in breaths, her lips reached his ear.

'Is that better baby?' she whispered as she kissed the hollow beneath his ear and she moved off him and lay down on her side on the bed, propping herself on one elbow as she watched Joey's breathing slowly return to normal. He turned his head to look at her, his eyes were dark, hungry.

'Babe that was …mind blowing' he told her and he rolled onto his side and his lips captured hers, he could taste himself on her and he groaned and then he pulled way to look at her. 'Now it's my turn' he told her.

**AN: and this is your last chapter today…how cruel am I? I hope you enjoy….. until tomorrow. R&R**


	19. Chapter 19

Lauren swallowed nervously, wondering exactly what Joey had planned for her, her earlier bravado suddenly vanished. Joey saw the change in her and he hesitate before he moved forward to kiss her softly, one hand sliding into her hair as he slowly moved her to lay on her back. He lay beside her, just leaning over her slight, he kept his kisses soft, almost playful until he felt her body relax, his tongue swept along her bottom lip tasting her, and he waited until he felt her tongue caress his, before he slowly slid his tongue into her mouth, he felt a familiar twinge in his groin and was surprised to feel his arousal building again.

Lauren's hand came to rest on Joey's wrist and he deepened the kiss, her hand moved to his shoulder and then slid to the back of his neck stroking his hair. Joey moved his hand to caress her neck and then she felt his fingers lightly brush over her collar bones before working their way under the strap of her top, he pushed the strap off her shoulder as his lips moved to her neck remembering she had a sensitive spot here he trailed his mouth towards it, she gasped softly when he found it and he smiled against her neck and spent a little time paying particular attention to the spot, he teased her with open mouthed kisses before sucking the skin gently careful not to mark her and then bit down gently before placing a soft kiss there. Lauren was practically purring underneath him, her earlier nervousness gone. Joey's lips moved to her collarbone and he kissed and licked her skin, he moved further south and lightly brushed his lips over the swell of her breasts, his fingers followed the path of his lips and she felt him stroking her skin she whimpered quietly. He pulled back a little to look at her as his hand travelled over her basque covered breast, her face was flushed and Joey moved forward and kissed her, his tongue plunging into her mouth as he kissed her hungrily, she arched her back pushing herself into his hand with another little moan, she rolled towards him and his hand moved to her hip and then down the back of her knee and as he pulled it towards him he rolled towards her, she hooked her leg over his and her hands moved to his back, snaking their way under his shirt, her nails raking over his back, this time Joey shuddered as this action sent a shot of fire to his groin, he could already feel his erection straining against the confine of his pants. Joey slid his hand back to her breast and he broke the kiss and lowered his lips to her chest again.

He looked down at the front of the basque wondering how it was undone. 'Joey?' Lauren asked him quietly wondering why he had stopped. His eyes met her and he could see she was puzzled as to why he had stopped, she shifted slightly and she put her leg back on the bed.

'How does this…undo?' he asked her softly

Lauren smiled and she reached to the front of her basque and she started to undo series of hook and eyes and then pulled back the thin strip of material she had released to show Joey a zip.

Joey kissed her lips softly 'Velcro would be easier' he murmured against her lips, Lauren giggled

'Does this mean you don't want me to wear this again?' she asked him as Joey unzipped her top

'Didn't say that' he replied quickly, she giggled and then moaned as Joey pushed her top open and slid one hand inside to cup her satin covered breast, whilst his lips kissed the exposed skin. . Distracted by Joey's lips and hand on her breasts she didn't notice, at first, his hand sliding up the outside of her thigh, pushing her skirt higher. She felt his fingers brush over her hip and then over her stomach and then moved lower, touching the top of her panties. Sensing her tense a little he raised his head to find her lips again, staying above her underwear he slid his hand slowly lower to caress between her legs, he found that she was already damp, she moaned softly and then broke the kiss

'Joey…' she whispered. Thinking that she was going to tell him to stop he moved his hand away 'Please…' she whispered again, Joey looked down at her and he watched her face as his fingers found the top of panties and then slowly slid them down her legs. She chewed on her bottom lip, her large brown eyes watching him intently, she closed her eyes with a happy sigh at the first touch of his fingers on her naked flesh. He found her clit and he began to rub it gently with his index finger, he experimented with tempo and pressure, seeing what she liked, what she didn't. Moments later she was writhing and panting beneath him, so close but wanting more. Joey swapped his index finger with his thumb and he slowly pushed two fingers inside of her, pleasantly surprised that she already so wet for him. She raised her hips and moaned loudly. Joey moved his lips back to her neck and he kept a slow steady pace with this fingers and thumb, her hands had moved to his back again and she dug her nails in hard.

'Do you like that baby?' he whispered in her ear.

'Yes' she replied

'Do you want more?' he asked her

'Yes' she said breathlessly 'Please Joey need more…'

Joey pushed a third finger inside her and she groaned again, he increased the pace and pressure of his thumb as Lauren started to pant 'Oh!' she exclaimed urgently 'Joey!' He kissed her hard as he felt her trembling beneath him, clenching around his fingers, he knew she was close and he increased his pace again and Lauren mewled into his mouth as she came hard around his fingers. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as Joey's mouth over hers muffled her cries of pleasure. When he was certain that she wasn't going to be loud he gently ended the kiss and he watched her face as he worked her down gently and then carefully removed his fingers. Lauren's face was flushed, she could see flashes of light behind her eyelids like she was watching a firework display. Her breathing was fast and her heart was pounding so hard within her chest that for a brief moment she thought it would it burst out. She licked her lips and she opened her eyes to look at Joey, he was gazing her lustfully as he licked his fingers clean, once he was done he moved forward and he kissed her, the taste of herself on his lips was strange, she normally didn't like kissing guys who had done a lot more that Joey had done, but she found that she liked it with Joey. She liked that he tasted like her. The kiss ended and Joey brushed his nose against hers lightly.

'Did you like that babe?' he threw her words back at her. She nodded a little shyly and he smiled at her.

'That was….intense' she whispered 'I've never …come that hard before. I didn't think it was ever going to end' she admitted to him.

He stole a quick kiss 'It's only going to get better' he whispered to her and he climbed off the bed and he grabbed a t-shirt from his drawer and he handed it to her. 'Here get changed into this and then get into bed' he told her

'I just need a second' she told him 'My whole body feels like jelly'

Joey smiled and he stripped to his boxer shorts 'I'll use the bathroom first then' he said and he unlocked the door and left the room. When he returned 5 minutes later, Lauren had put the t-shirt on and was in his bed. He locked the door again and walked over to the bed and he climbed in beside her. He moved into his arms and she kissed his chest and then tilted her head towards his for a kiss which he was more than willing to give her

'What do I tell mum and dad when I turn up in the morning? In last night's clothes?' she asked him

'Tell them that your very handsome cousin took you back to his place and gave you the most intense orgasm that you've ever had and that you lost all movement in your limbs and had to stay the night.' Joey teased her.

'Okay' Lauren replied sleepily, Joey chuckled softly. He thought she had fallen asleep until she spoke again

'It was…the most intense orgasm that I've ever had' she told him softly. 'Thank you'

'The pleasure was mine baby' he murmured softly against her hair.

He lay awake listening to Lauren's breathing, thinking about the nights events long after Lauren had fallen into an exhausted slumber, he kissed the top of her softly. 'I love you' he whispered knowing that she couldn't hear him.

**AN: So that was the second part of the sex chapter… hope you enjoyed it as much as Lauren and Joey clearly did. **

**A few more chapters will be posted today …. Enjoy and as always R&R. **

**Thank you for the reviews, I read all of them and value your feedback and lovely words….. to be continued.**


	20. Chapter 20

Lauren woke early the next morning and she found she was wrapped securely in Joey's arms. At some point in the night she has moved away from him, turned her back on him and he had followed and wrapped himself around her, she smiled to herself. Her bladder made her aware that she needed the bathroom and she wriggled against Joey and managed to get free of his arms and she crept out of bed, unlocked the door and crept to the bathroom, she was afraid that Kat would wake up and find her there. Once back in Joey's bedroom, she pulled on her skirt and with a grin decided to keep on his t-shirt. Picking up her basque she rolled it up and she picked up her coat and shrugged it on. She picked up her shoes and looked at the sleeping man in the bed. She felt bad leaving him like this but she knew the earlier she left the less chance she had of being seen sneaking out of the house. Walking to the bedroom door she afford herself one more glance a Joey and then she left.

Lauren cross the square unseen and let herself in to her house just as Tanya came down the stairs. Lauren froze.

'Are you just getting in?' Tanya asked her

'Er..yep' Lauren told her with a nod

'Are you drunk?'

'Nope' Lauren said as she walked into the kitchen, Tanya followed her. Lauren picked up the kettle and filled it with water and put it on to boil 'Coffee?' she asked her mother

'Please' Tanya said with a nod 'So you were out all night?'

'Yeah' Lauren replied as she made herself busy getting cups ready.

'With who?' Tanya asked her

'Mum, relax' Lauren said 'I went back to Joey's, we were talking and I fell asleep on the sofa' she told her 'As soon as I woke up I came home. I know I should have called but I wasn't planning on falling asleep' she said and she turned and she looked at her mum briefly. Lauren made the coffee and put it on the table in front of her mother. 'I'm going to take a shower' Lauren told her and she picked up her cup and she walked up the stairs and into her room.

Later Lauren was working on the sketches for Sharon's club on the table in the lounge. Her phone beeped and she picked it up and saw she had a text from Joey _**"Last night was incredible. Missed you when I woke up. Lunch at the Vic at 1pm. J xx" **_Smiling she typed a reply.

"_**Yes it was…. Got caught getting in….. See you at 1. L x" **_

At 12:30 Lauren checked her reflection in the mirror and she packed her drawings in her art folder and put it in her room. She opened the front door and walked into Max

'Oh! You going out?' he asked her

'Yeah I'm meeting Joey for lunch at the Vic' she told him

'Oh I was hoping you and I could have lunch together' he said

'Why?' Lauren frowned wondering what his motive was

'Well we haven't had lunch together for a while' he replied 'I thought it would be nice?'

'Maybe some other time' Lauren told him 'I gotta go' she told him and she walked out of the house, Max watched her walking down the steps.

Joey was already waiting for her when she walked into the Vic 'Hey' he replied with a smile

'Hi' Lauren replied a little shyly.

'I've already ordered' he told her as he picked up their drinks and led her to a table

'Good. I'm starved' she sat down and picked up her glass and took a drink.

'So who caught you?'

'Mum' she replied 'I told her that I went back to yours after the club and I fell asleep on the sofa' she told him 'I'm not sure if she believe me though'

'Why?' Joey frowned at her

'Because she sent dad home to have lunch with me' she replied 'Which means a lecture'

Joey looked at her 'Maybe it wasn't about that'

'Yeah it was that's how they work, mum's worried so dad gets to be the one to talk to me' I told him, our food arrived and we started to eat. When does Alice come home?'

'Sometime today' Joey said 'She said she'd call when she was leaving mums'

'Maybe I'll come over tonight see how she is' Lauren said 'See if there's anything that I can do to help with the funeral arrangements'

'She'd like that' Joey smiled at Lauren. 'She really likes you'

'Well I'm easy to like' Lauren replied grinning at Joey. She glanced up and saw her dad walk into the pub with Jack. 'Uh-oh' she said as she put a mouthful of food in her mouth, Joey picked up his coke and took a drink and he glanced around the pub and saw them.

'Do you want another drink babe?' he asked her

'Please' she nodded.

Joey got up and he went to the bar standing next to Max 'Alright?' Joey asked him

'Yeah' Max said 'I hear Lauren spent the night at your place?' he asked him

'Yeah she fell asleep on the sofa, it was late so I figured it would be okay' Joey looked at him 'I would have called but it was pretty late…' he told him

'So she wasn't drunk?'

'No, a bit tipsy maybe, they all were' he said 'But she and Whitney switched to cokes about half way through the night, asked me to just give them cokes if anyone brought them a drink' he told him 'I'm sorry I thought I was doing the right thing…'

'Yeah…yeah you did. Thanks Joey for watching out for her' he said and he glanced over at Lauren and he smiled shaking his head.

'Anytime' Joey said. He brought two more cokes and brought them over to the table and sat down again.

'Did you get the Spanish Inquisition?' she asked him

'Yeah a little but I think I convinced Max that I was just looking out for my little cousin' he told her, she glared at him and he smiled 'So how are you getting on with the sketches for Sharon?'

'Good, I'm pretty much finished. Just a few finishing touches to do' she told him

'Can I see them?'

'Nope' Lauren grinned at him 'Not until Sharon has'

'Listen I'm not working Saturday night so I was thinking that maybe you and I could go up the West End' he said 'Get away from the square for a bit?' Lauren's fork stopped halfway to her mouth as she blinked at him

'Really?' she asked him and he nodded

'Yeah. Spend some time alone away from everyone' he told her 'Just you and me'

'I'd really like that Joey' she said to him.

'Good' he smiled. After they had eaten they got up and walked out of the pub together.

'Okay well I had better go finish up my sketches. Thank you for lunch' she said with a smile

'You're welcome. So I'll text you when Alice is back and I'll see you later'

'Yes' her eyes glanced at his lips and she sighed 'Bye' she said softly

'Bye' he replied.

**AN: Thank you for all your responses to this story…I guess you're all enjoying it? Well keep reading more drama's twists and turns to come… oh and some more hot scenes between Joey and Lauren… as always R&R and enjoy. **


	21. Chapter 21

Joey opened the door and he smiled when he saw Lauren standing on the doorstep 'Hey' he said and he took her hand and he pulled her inside closing the door. He pulled towards him and he lips met hers.

'Joey!' she whispered 'What if someone sees us?'

'Kat is out and Alice is in the lounge behind closed doors' he murmured against her lips.

'Joey? Is that Lauren?' Alice called out. Joey growled softly

'Yeah it's Lauren' he called back, he sighed and let Lauren go and she opened the door and went to the lounge. Joey watched as the two girls hugged.

'How are you doing Alice?' Lauren asked her, Joey hovered in the doorway not sure whether or not to go in or leave the two girls to talk.

'I'm okay. Seeing mum helped' she said softly 'She wants to meet you. Apparently I didn't stop talking about you the whole trip'

Joey decided that Alice needed to talk to Lauren alone and he went into the kitchen.

'Well we'll meet at the funeral' she said as she sat down next to her

'She's not coming' Alice said looking down she glanced up at Joey shooting him an apologetic look.

'I'm sorry Alice. I'm sure that your mum has her reasons… at least Joey will be there'

'Joey says he's not coming either' Alice replied and she looked up at Lauren 'You'll be there won't you? You'll ride in the car with me?'

Lauren swallowed at the unexpected request and she nodded 'Yeah of course I will' she told her and she reached out and squeezed Alice's hand. 'Is there anything that you want me to do to help you with the arrangements?' she asked her

'Everything is done. There is one thing that you could do' Alice said

'Name it' Lauren replied

'I want to see him. Will you come to the funeral home with me tomorrow?' Alice asked her. Lauren felt the colour drain from her face at Alice's request, after everything that Derek had done to her the last thing she wanted to do was see him again, even if he was dead, when she didn't reply Alice looked up at her eyes filled with tears 'Please?' she asked her. 'I've asked Joey but he refused' Lauren's throat felt dry, she wasn't sure her voice would work so she nodded and forced a smile on her face. 'Thank you' Alice said and she hugged her cousin tightly.

'Okay Alice…. Too tight!' Lauren said and Alice let her go 'Okay so now I want you to do something for me'

'What? Alice blinked at her.

'Go upstairs, get cleaned up and get changed because sitting here in this house isn't doing you any good so you, me and Joey are going to the Vic' she told her

'No I don't…'

'Do you think Derek would want this hey? You sitting here like this not living your life?' Lauren asked her 'No you know he wouldn't. So get up those stairs Alice Branning and be back down in here in fifteen minutes. I'm not taking no for an answer' she told her firmly.

Alice smiled a little and she nodded and got up and went upstairs.

Lauren stood up and looked around the room, she felt her hands shaking and she frowned as she looked down at them. Even dead Derek still had the ability to terrify her. The thought of seeing him again filled her with dread, she felt bile rising and clasped her hand over her mouth, praying that she wasn't going to be sick. A few moments later the feeling subsided.

Joey came back into the lounge as Alice came down the stairs, he glanced at Lauren and saw she looked pale and worried. 'What's going on?' he asked his eyes fixed on her,

'We are going to the Vic to get Alice of out this house' Lauren told him 'Ready Alice?' Lauren asked her.

'Yeah' she nodded.

'Great. I'll get the first round' Lauren told them and she left the house first. Joey and Alice followed behind her.

Once inside the Vic Lauren headed straight for the bar as Joey and Alice went to find a table. 'Yes darling?' Alfie asked her

'Two cokes, one double vodka and coke and a double vodka neat' she told him

'Coming right up' he told her. He put the neat vodka down in front of her first and she picked up the glass and downed the liquid in one, closing her eyes as she felt the familiar, yet someone how comforting burn as the alcohol slid down her throat. She put the glass back down on the bar and Alfie put the rest of the drinks in front of her '£12.90 please' Alfie said, Lauren paid and picked up the drinks and glanced around looking for Alice and Joey, Alice waved at her and she carried the glasses over to the table and sat down.

'So Joey tells me that you are doing some designs for Sharon's club?' Alice asked her

'Yeah a few' she nodded, Joey watched she talked to his sister, he knew that something was bothering her and he hoped that he would have the opportunity to find out tonight.

Later, Whitney and Tyler joined them at their table. Lauren got up and went to the ladies room and Joey waited for her to come back. In the meantime Lucy came in and she looked at the group

'Oh did no one invite me?' she asked Whitney

'Actually we crashed Lauren, Joey and Alice' Whitney told her 'But the more the merrier' she grinned at her friend.

Lauren stood at the other side of the bar and she downed another neat double vodka, wiping her mouth she put the glass back down on the bar. She made her way back through the pub, bumping into someone's table just before she reached hers 'Oops sorry guys' she smiled the four blokes sitting at the table.

'It's alright darling' one of them smiled back at her. 'You can bump into us anytime' he flirted with her

'Well if you play your cards right boys …' she flirted back. Joey frowned as he heard the exchange.

Lauren sat down at the table next to Whitney seeing that Lucy had stolen her place next to Joey 'How much have you had?' Whitney asked her quietly as she sat down next to her

'A few' Lauren shrugged 'Empty stomach' she lied with a shrug.

'Is everything okay Lauren?' Tyler asked her, the only one at the table who know that Lauren only got drunk when there was something bothering her,

'Perfect' she replied 'I'm out with my friends having a good time' she said with a smile and she turned and looked at Lucy who was leaning as close to Joey as she possible could, 'And I have a ring side seat to watch Lucy attempt to seduce Joey' she said. The table went quiet and Lucy looked up at her friend, her cheeks going red.

'Lauren!' Whitney exclaimed in shock

'What?' Lauren looked at her 'Like you're not thinking it too?' she accused her friend 'It's pathetic really. I mean how many times does he need to tell her that he's not interested before she actually gets the message?' she said and she looked back at Lucy and then at Joey. She could see the confusion and shock in his eyes. Lauren picked up her drink and drank half of it in one go. 'You know what we all know how this is going to end. Lucy sending me and Whitney endless text messages and voice mails all about how much she loves Joey and she doesn't understand why he doesn't want her' she said 'I mean how more pathetic can she get?'

'Come one Lauren lets go for a walk hey?' Tyler said touching her hand 'Why don't you give me that?' She looked at him brushing his hand off hers.

'Because I'm drinking it' she replied and she finished it off and she put the glass down loudly on the table. 'Okay whose round is it?' she asked and she looked around the table expectantly. The look of disgust she saw on Joey's face stunned her, she licked her lips and she swallowed. 'Oh do you know what… I'm going go' she said and she stood up 'Stuff the lot of you' she said and she walked out of the pub.

'Okay….' Lucy said 'What the hell was that about?' she asked them all

Alice blinked and she frowned 'I think that was my fault' she said. Joey looked at her

'What do you mean?' he asked her confused

'I asked her to come with me tomorrow. We're going to the funeral parlour to see dad' she told him

Everything clicked into place for Joey and he frowned at his sister.

'Why can't you just leave it alone hey Al?' he frowned at her 'He's dead…. Good riddance as far as I am concerned' he said and he got up

'Where are you going?' she asked him

'I'm going after Lauren' he told her and he walked out of the Vic.

**AN: So… Joey's seen the drunken version of Lauren.. will this put him off? Has she ruined her friendship with Lucy? Keep reading and find out…. R&R **


	22. Chapter 22

Lauren woke the next morning with a headache. She groaned and looked at the clock. It was 11:30pm. She rolled over in the bed and a bottle cluttered to the floor. Forcing herself out of bed she got up and showered and got dressed. She put the empty vodka bottle in her bag and pulled on her trainers and went down stairs. She found her phone on the lounge table along with a note from her mother telling her to come to Booties when she'd dragged herself out of her bed. She groaned as flashes of last night came back to her, she knew she woke Oscar up and she remembered her mother telling her that she was disgusted with the state Lauren was in. Ashamed that Lauren was her daughter. This last comment had made her reach for solace in the half empty bottle of vodka she had stashed in her room. She picked up the note and screwed it up, dropping it in the bin. She checked her phone, she had several messages from her friends, even from Lucy demanding that Lauren apologises to her. And some from Joey. She decided not to read those ones just yet.

She saw one from Sharon telling her to meet her in the club at 2:00pm. Lauren went into the kitchen and took some headache pills with some water and then she left the house and made her way to Booties, hoping she wouldn't bump into anyone. Tanya looked up as the door opened. She was still angry.

'Oh you've finally surfaced have you?' she asked her 'I hope you're pleased with yourself. Getting in such a state like that, honestly Lauren what are you thinking? Are you thinking at all?' she frowned at her 'Why do you keep doing this?'

'I'm sorry' Lauren told her 'It's not like I've done it a lot recently… last night was just a one off' she told her 'I didn't know when to stop that's all. I really am sorry mum' she said sincerely.

'Yeah well that doesn't mean anything when you keep going out and doing it over and over again' she snapped at her angrily. 'If you think you're going out tonight you've got another thing coming'

'You can't stop me from going out' Lauren frowned thinking about her date with Joey, 'I'm 19 years old'

'Yeah well when you are going to start acting like it?' Tanya snapped at her 'Go on get out of my sight' she told her

Lauren frowned but did as she said before she said something she would regret. She took a deep breath and made her way to the cafe. Lucy was serving behind the counter and her smile faded as she saw Lauren.

'Luce I'm really sorry.. I was such a cow last night… I'm really really sorry' she told her

Lucy sighed 'Yeah you were. You look rough' she said

'I have the hangover of all hangovers and I've just been bawled out by my mother in the salon… so yell at me scream at me call me all the names under the sun if you want to….but then can you bring me a coffee?' she asked her

'You embarrassed me in front of Joey' she said

'I know … I am so sorry…. You know what I'm like when I've been drinking, my mouth and brain are on different circuits' Lauren looked at her

'Why were you drinking?' she asked her 'Alice said that it was because she asked you to go with her to see Derek today'

'Shit! What time is it?' Lauren asked her and she glanced at the clock. 'Oh god she'll be waiting for me…. I'd better go. Are we okay Luce?' Lauren asked her 'Please I'll do anything you ask'

'On one condition' Lucy said with a small smile 'you talk to Joey, convince him to go on a date with me so I can show him how much I've changed.'

'Luce….I'm not sure that…' Lucy cut her off

'You said anything' Lucy smiled at her 'Here' she made her a coffee to go 'On the house'

'Thanks' Lauren said and she gave her a weak smile.

On her way to Alice's she bumped into Whitney 'Hey, how are you feeling this morning?'

'Many shades of sorry' Lauren said sheepishly 'I'm really sorry Whit'

'It's not me you need to apologise to. It's Lucy'

'Already seen her' Lauren said

'And?' Whitney prompted her

'We're okay, well as long as I persuade Joey to take her out on a date' Lauren told her

Whitney looked at her open mouthed 'She asked you to do that?'

'Yeah' Lauren nodded

'Are you going to?'

'Oh well that would mean seeing Joey and that's top of my list of things I don't plan to do anytime soon' Lauren told her 'Look I'd better go. Alice is next on my list to apologise to' she said

'Alright well I'll see you later then' Whitney smiled at her.

Lauren rang the bell and waited praying that Joey wouldn't be there.

'Lauren hey' Alice said and she smiled 'come in'

'If Joey's here..'

'He's not he went out about five hours ago' she told me, Lauren followed her into the house

'So are you ready to go?'

'Oh. I should have called you…. I talked to Joey after you left last night. When he came back after looking for you and he made me realise that it's not dad in that box and seeing him like that isn't the way that he would want me to remember him. So I've decided not to go' she told her cousin 'Sorry. But thank you for saying that you would come with me' she told her 'Do you want to stay for a coffee?'

'I can't I have to get ready to meet with Sharon' Lauren told her

'Oh about the job. Well good luck' she smiled as she saw Lauren out.

Lauren returned home and made herself a sandwich and some coffee. She cleaned up the kitchen after she had finished and then went upstairs to get changed and put a little bit of makeup on She grabbed her art folder and made her way to the club. She walked down the stairs and she could hear Sharon asking someone about the delivery they had today. She froze on the spot when she heard Joey's voice reply.

She sighed. Well it looks like she was going to have face Joey whether she wanted to or not.

She stood up straight, held her head high and walked into the club. 'Hi Sharon' she smiled as she walked in.

A**N: What will Joey's reaction be, will he still be talking to her or will he have decided that he doesn't want to take things any further with Lauren, Will Lauren convince Joey to take Lucy on a date? Will her drawings live up to Sharon's expectations? You'll find out tomorrow….unless you really want another chapter or two tonight R&R. **


	23. Chapter 23

'Ah Lauren, Just in time' Sharon said with a smile. 'I thought we would look at your designs out here if that's okay, we have more room'

'No that's fine' she said and she looked at Sharon with a nod. 'Where do you want me to set up?'

'Well here will be fine' she gestured to the bar. Joey noticed that Lauren wouldn't look at him.

Lauren nodded and licked her lips and she put her folder on the bar and unzipped it.

'How about a drink Lauren? Joey I'll have my usual' she told him

'Just an orange juice please' she told him. Joey smiled to himself, clearly Lauren had a hangover and didn't want any more to drink. He got the drinks and he put them down on the bar.

'Thanks Joey' Sharon smiled at him.

'I'll just go and move things around in the cellar' he said and Sharon nodded, he glanced at Lauren but she still kept her eyes averted. Lauren let out a breath that she didn't realise that she was holding as he walked out of the room.

Lauren spread her drawings out and she looked at them 'Wow, Lauren these are really good' Sharon said 'I am really impressed with these' she said

They heard footsteps on the stairs and Phil came in 'Sorry I'm late' he said 'So let's have a look at these pictures then' he said dismissively. He came over the bar and he looked at them, Lauren chewed on her bottom lip and he studied them. He looked at Lauren.

'You did these did you?' he asked her

'Yes' she nodded

'They're pretty good' he said, she looked at Sharon, she winked at her, 'Okay show me what they'd look like in print and we'll talk some more'

'Like these?' Lauren fished into her art folder again and brought out some printed designs with different colour background and fonts. She spread them out and moved the drawings to one side. Phil raised his eyebrows and he and Sharon looked at them. They selected 2 and then looked at Lauren

'Okay, these two' Phil said 'This one we'd like as an advert to go in the local papers, be stuck on billboard and walls' he told her 'And as fliers to go to all the local business and addresses' he told her 'And this one we want as the new front for the club' he told her.

'Not a problem. I can get them blown up poster size and pasted around Walford and I'll talk to Masood about putting them through everyone's door and I can contact the paper, dad has the number somewhere. She told him. There's even a guy I know at college who can make up the and signs for the club at a reduced rate' she told him 'you let me know when you want to have them installed and I can arrange it all'

Phil looked at her 'What's the catch?' she asked her

'The copyright of the designs are mine and I get to put them in my portfolio and towards my exam. You write me a glowing letter of recommendation to other potential business owners and you pay me £1500'

'That's a bit steep' Phil said

'A more qualified graphic designer would cost you three times as much as that' Lauren told him 'and you would have to make all the other arrangements that I said I would do for you' she told him.

'£1k' Phil said

'£1500' Lauren replied

'£1300' Phil countered her offer

'£1500' Lauren repeated her price

'£1400' Phil said

'Deal' Lauren said and she spat in her hand held it out to Phil, he laughed, spat in his hand and clapped it against Laurens and they shook hands,

'Just so you know I would have paid £1500' Phil told her

She smiled at him 'I would have taken a thousand' she replied causing him to laugh again.

'You and Sharon liaise around the arrangements' he said 'Sharon cut her a cheque' he said with a smile

'Pleasure doing business with you' Lauren said with a smile. Phil laughed again and he left the club.

'I'll go write you that cheque' Sharon said with a smile and she slid of the stool and went into the office, Lauren packed her drawings away, putting the 2 designs Sharon and Phil had picked at the top of her pile and she zipped up her folder and she smiled to herself. A few minutes later Sharon appeared with the cheque and she handed it to Lauren.

'Congratulations, well deserved and well done for the way you handled Phil' she said to her 'usually people are scared of Phil' she told Lauren.

'Yeah well after Derek Branning I don't scare easily' she said causing Sharon to frown.

'What do you mean?' Sharon asked her 'Did Derek do something to you?' she asked her

Lauren licked her lips 'Forget I said anything. He's dead now so he can't do anything anymore so…..' she trailed off and she picked up her orange juice and she took a sip. 'Well I'd better go. I'll speak to my friends at college and I'll let you know potential dates' Lauren told her

'Don't you want to go and tell Joey?' Sharon asked her as Lauren picked up her folder and put the cheque in her bag.

'Tell Joey what?' Joey asked as he came back into the club.

'She's only got the job, not to mention impressing Phil Mitchell' Sharon said before Lauren could say anything 'and negotiated herself a pretty good payment as well,'

'Yeah?' How good?' he asked and he looked at me

'Phil's starting offer was 1K. Lauren pushed him up to £1400' Sharon told him

Lauren snuck a peek at Joey and saw the broad grin he had on his face, pride shining in his eyes for her. 'Told you she was more than a pretty face didn't I?' he asked Sharon.

'Yes you did' Sharon said nodding her head 'Well I am going go home. Joey you'll lock up?'

'Yeah' he said. Sharon nipped back into her office, grabbed her bag and coat and she looked at Lauren and smiled again and the walked up the stairs of the club, she closed the door behind her.

Joey looked at Lauren 'See told you' he said softly 'I knew you could do it' he told her

'Thanks' she said 'Sharon's already given me cheque' she told him

Joey walked back behind the bar 'Well I don't know about you but I think this calls for a celebration don't you?' he asked her 'Another orange juice?' he asked her

'Please' she nodded. She put her folder down 'I wasn't sure you were still talking to me after last night' she said to him 'I am really sorry Joey. I didn't mean to embarrass you like that'

'I wasn't embarrassed' Joey said 'Lucy on the other hand..' he said as he got two more orange juices and brought them round to the other side of the bar. He put them down and he looked at her.

'I've already apologised to Lucy' Lauren said to him

'I've been calling you sending you texts' he said

'I know, I haven't read them or listened to them. I wasn't sure that I wanted to hear or read what they said' she admitted to him

'Well… they say… please call me tell me that you got home okay. That I am worried about you, that I'm not angry with you and I really want to see you to make sure that you are okay' He said softly

She looked at him and she licked her lips 'Oh' she said 'Well you must be the only one who was worried about me and not angry with me and wanted to see me' Lauren told him and he sighed

'You and Lucy didn't work things out?' he asked her, Lauren picked up her orange juice and walked to a table and sat down, Joey did the same

'For a price' she replied as she took a sip of orange juice the placed the glass down on the table

'A price?' he asked her clearly confused.

Lauren closed her eyes 'She wants me to convince you to go out on a date with her so she can show you how much she's changed' Lauren told him

'What and you agreed to do it?' he sounded annoyed

'No I didn't agree to do it. I just let her think that I did' Lauren said and she sighed. 'I didn't know what else to do. Mum had already read me the riot act and I didn't want Lucy to do it too'

'Your mum?' Joey asked me

'Woke Oscar up when I got up in my very drunken state. She yelled at me, told me she was disgusted with me and ashamed to have me as her daughter oh and she told me I wasn't allowed out anymore…so Saturday night is off, that's if it was still on to start with'

Joey licked his lips 'of course it was still on' Joey said 'Look why don't you let me talk to your mum hey? Maybe I can smooth things over? And I'll talk to Lucy again and tell her that you were fighting in her corner but regretfully I have my own mind and I do not want to go out on a date with her, because I am very happy with my girlfriend' he told her.

Lauren looked up at him 'Really?'

'Yes really…you think you drunk was gonna scare me off' he asked her

'I don't know..maybe. Drunken Lauren's usually not a whole lot of fun to be around' she told him.

'So don't be that girl' he told her softly. 'Why did you get so drunk? I mean the other night at the club you switched to cokes'

'It was just the thought of seeing Derek…. I agreed to go with Alice…' she explained to him

'I know' she told me 'I talked to her about it and persuaded her it wasn't a good idea, I told her to call you to tell you, since you weren't returning any of my calls or texts'

'I'm sorry'

'Stop apologising' he told her softly.

'Sorry' she said again and then she smiled and laughed

Why don't we go back to mine and you can tell me exactly what it was that Derek did to you?' he asked me

'You were listening?' she asked

'I heard on my way up the stairs' he said and he took a breath 'I think you need to tell me' Joey said firmly. 'Come on' he said and he stood up and held out his hand. Lauren took it and he pulled her up and then he kissed her softly before pulling her into a hug.

**AN: What did Derek to do Lauren? Will Joey be able to talk round her parents. And will Lucy finally get the message?' **

**This is the last chapter tonight as requested. Enjoy and R&R. **


	24. Chapter 24

Joey locked up the club and he and Lauren walked to his house. He unlocked the door and they went inside. 'Al?' he called out 'Kat?' getting no reply he took Lauren's hand and he led her into the lounge.

'Do you want a coffee?' he asked her

'Please' she nodded. He disappeared into the kitchen and Lauren took a deep breath and she walked to the window and looked out onto the square. She didn't hear Joey come back into the room, or call her name softly.

'Lauren?' he touched her shoulder lightly and she jumped 'Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you'

'I was miles away' she told him with a smile as she turned around to look at him, Joey looked at her and he stroked her cheek lightly with his fingers 'Wishing I was anyway' she added

'We could be' Joey said 'Miles away from here, if you wanted'

'What?'

'We could go away somewhere for the weekend. I could book some time off work we could go away for a long weekend' he told her

'Joey…we can't'

'Give me one good reason why we can't' he told her

'Derek's funeral is next week for one' she said 'and what would I tell my parents?' she asked him 'What would we tell our friends?'

'Then we go after the funeral. We tell people that I am treating you for being such a support to me Alice'

She looked at him 'Are you serious?' she asked him

'Yes I'm serious' he told her 'Think about it. You and me alone together for 4 days. No sneaking around, no pretending that we're not together. Just being like any other normal couple' he could tell the idea was appealing to Lauren and he smiled at her 'we could find a nice cosy little B&B somewhere. I'll have a look at some places get some leaflet and then you can have a look and see what you think' he told her

'Okay' she said and she smiled at him 'I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a look' she told him trying to be casual about it and not how show how excited she was at the prospect of 4 whole days and 3 whole nights with him.

Lauren walked to the mantelpiece and she looked at the pictures that sat there. 'Is this you?' she picked up a picture of a small little brown haired boy, a huge grin on his face as he stood next to a shiny new bicycle. Joey walked up behind her sliding his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

'Yep. Alice put all these up' he told her 'It was taken on my 8th birthday. Mum brought me a new bike' he said

'You look so cute then' she grinned 'Aw. Little Joey'

'Yes thank you' he said 'and I'm still cute thank you very much' he pulled away from her and he turned her round to look at him and he took her hand and led her to the sofa. 'So you have something to tell me about Derek?' he prompted her

She sighed and looked down at her hands 'He saw us, the night that we kissed outside R&R' she told him 'After you left, I went home and he followed me. He caught up with me at the steps to my house and he grabbed my arm, hard enough to bruise it and he threatened me. Told me that what we did was disgusting, un-natural. And he told me to stay away from you or he would tell mum and dad what we did' she told him 'I told him he could go to hell and I yanked my arm out of his and I went up to the door. I thought he'd gone, but suddenly he'd spun me round and pinned to the wall by my throat. He was squeezing so hard, I could barely get my breath and things started to go blurry. He leaned it really close to me, and I could smell the whiskey and cigars on his breath' Lauren said, she frowned feeling her eyes fill with tears at the memory of it 'He told me that if I didn't stay away from you, or if he even thought that we were together that he would have to get a little taste of me himself. See what the fuss was about' Lauren said and she glanced at Joey, his hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles were white. Lauren sighed and reached forward and picked up her coffee and took a sip.

'Then what happened?' he asked her, his tone cold and hard.

'It doesn't matter Joey … he's dead'

'Lauren…then what happened?' he repeated forcefully

She flinched a little and swallowed 'Then he let me go and I went into the house.' she told him

'Lauren…'

'I swear Joey; that was it' she said. 'He'd make snide comments when he saw me, repeat his threats in low whispers so that no one else could hear'

'Did he touch you? He asked her

'No' Lauren shook her head and she looked up at Joey 'He didn't touch me' Joey got up and he walked to the window, folding his arms over his chest.

'Is that everything?'

Lauren sighed 'He saw us again on Bon Fire night' Lauren said 'You were getting drunk and you walked into the rickety old shack thing that was set up by the café and I followed you' she told him 'I was worried that you were going to do something stupid so I thought if I talked to you, you wouldn't and ….'

'I kissed you' he said

'Yes'

'And Derek saw?'

'Yes'

'And what did he do?' he asked me

'Joey..'

'I'm not going to ask you again Lauren' he frowned

'I was on my way to find Whitney and Tyler and I was walking by the alley near the Vic and someone grabbed me and dragged me down it right to the back. At first I thought it was you' she admitted 'but then I realised it was Derek. He told me that he'd been doing some digging about me, that he didn't like the kind of girl I was, told me that I wasn't good enough for you. He told me that he'd been interested to learn what happened in America, even more interested that Max and Tanya didn't seem to know. I tried to get away from him but he was a lot stronger than me, he had me pinned to the wall and I could feel him.. pressing up against me' she frowned as she remembered 'He told me that he was going to show you what kind of girl I was and that after you knew you wouldn't want anything to do with me. I struggled and I tried to get away…my shirt ripped and my back was scratched from the wall…..' she trailed off and Joey turned to look at her. Her face was buried in her hands, he went over to her and crouched down in front of her and he gently took hold of her wrists, he lowered her hands and he saw the tears in her eyes and on her cheeks,

'Then what happened?' he asked her softly, she looked at him and he reached out with a shaky hand and brushed her tears away with his thumb. She took a breath and let it out slowly 'I heard him undoing his pants and then he reached for the front of my jeans and I knew what he intended to do, and I was so scared… we could hear voices coming closer and closer to the alley and Derek turned to see if we were in view of the street and I knew that this would be my only opportunity to get away, so realising he was distracted I pushed him and he moved backwards and I kicked him as hard as I could in the balls, he dropped to his knees and I ran.' She told him 'And then after that you disappeared and I figured that he'd told you what he found out about me and that you were so disgusted that you left'

'He was going to rape you?' Joey said

'But he didn't'

'Only because you got away' Joey told me 'I can't believe I left you here with him after what he did'

'You didn't know and it wasn't your fault' Lauren told him 'Joey..' he got up and he moved away from her

'How can you stand to be with me, be around me after what he did?' he asked her

'Easy' Lauren said and she stood up and crossed the room to stand behind him, 'You are nothing like him Joey' she said

'I'm his son' he scoffed

'In name only' Lauren put her hands on his shoulders and he shrugged her off 'Joey look at me please' he didn't move 'Please…' he closed his eyes hearing the tears in her voice 'Joe….' She sobbed on his name, he turned around to look at her, 'you are nothing like Derek' she told him firmly 'you don't look like him, you don't act like him, you don't remind of him….' She cupped his face in her hands as she shook her head 'It wasn't your fault Joey it was just the way Derek was, you know that more than anyone. Please don't let him ruin us' she pleaded with him softly. 'Please' he watched as tears rolled down her cheeks, his brown eyes stared into hers. She could see the warring emotions in eyes, she knew that he was considering ending things with her because of what his father almost did to her, she licked her lips and took a breath 'We were talking about going away a few minutes ago' she said to him 'Just you and me remember? I really want to do that Joey, go away with you. I want to be with you Joey.' She told him. 'And I know you want to be with me too'

'Lauren….' He started to say, his decision made

'I love you' she whispered.

**AN: Thanks to all of you for your reviews. I read them all. Enjoy. And as always R&R **


	25. Chapter 25

It felt like an hour since Lauren has last spoke, but in reality only two minutes had passed.

Two minutes since Lauren had inadvertently said those three little words.

Three stupid words, she thought to herself.

And Joey, well Joey hadn't said anything, he was just staring at her as if she had suddenly sprouted two heads or said something in a foreign language.

Joey watched the range of emotions playing across her face, he knew that he needed to say something to her, she had just opened up to him about something traumatic that had happened to her, by the hand of the mad who gave him life, he knew that he was the first person that she had told and that he would probably be the last, and he knew that this wasn't something that came easy to her.

He knew that she wasn't the type of girl to throw "I loves you's" around. And he was still reeling from the fact that she said it, he knew that she didn't mean to say it, he knew that by the look of surprise on her face when she heard herself say those three words.

She loved him.

She let her hands drop from his face and she swallowed, suddenly feeling humiliated, foolish, stupid even. New tears stung her eyes and she turned away, she thought about saying something else but didn't know what. She turned and walked into the hall and she picked up her coat and she walked to the door, Joey could hear her fumbling with the lock, he realised she was leaving.

'Lauren' he called out, 'Lauren!' he followed her into the hallway

'The… the lock's stuck' she said with a shaky voice.

'The latch is on' Joey said quietly 'Hey, come here' he put his hand on her shoulder and tried to turn her around, she wouldn't move. 'Babe' he said softly tugging gently.

'I just want to go…' she told him

Joey licked his lips 'Not like this. You're upset. What are people going to think if they see you running out of here crying hey?' he asked her, she swiped blindly at her tears with the back of her hand, 'Lauren….' he used a little bit more force to turn her around and he drew her in to his arms. She sobbed against his chest and he rubbed her back lightly, rocking her in his arms. 'Shh' he whispered softly. He could feel her tears soaking through into his shirt, he pressed his lips to the top of her head.

It took several minutes for her to compose herself and Joey felt her tense in his arms and then start to move away from him, he tried to hold in place but she twisted out of his arms and she ran up the stairs and into the bathroom, he heard the door slam behind her. He signed and he took the stairs two at a time.

Lauren looked at her reflection in the mirror, she grabbed some toilet paper and balled it up and then wet it and she started to clean her eye make-up. Joey tapped lightly on the door. 'Lauren..' he called her name through the door.

'Give me a minute Joey!' she called back a little more snappishly than she meant to. She dumped the wet wad of toilet paper in the toilet and then pulled some more sheets off and she blew her nose before dropping that wad into the toilet too, she flushed the chain and then looked at her reflection again. She unlocked the door and stepped out. Joey was leant against the wall waiting for her, she tried to walk passed him but he caught her hand

'Hey' he said softly, she sighed and she looked at everywhere except Joey. 'Look at me' he asked her, she shook her head

'I'm sorry about what Derek did to you' Joey said 'You hadn't told anyone that had you?' she shook her head again 'I'm glad you told me' he said softly. 'I know you didn't want to, it couldn't have been easy' Lauren chewed on her bottom lip 'Please look at me' Lauren closed her eyes briefly and then opened them again and raised her eyes to his, he reached out and he brushed her cheek lightly with the back of his fingers and he gave her a half smile 'I'm sorry that I didn't say anything before… I just I felt responsible somehow…'

'You're weren't she replied so quietly he could hardly hear her.

'I'm glad you told me Lauren' he told her 'You know you can tell me anything' he said, she chewed on her bottom lip 'Anytime day or night, whenever you want to, and you've still got your key so anytime you want to get away from things at home you know you can always come over here' he told her, he brushed her hair behind her ear tenderly 'You do know that don't you?' he asked her, she nodded her head once 'Any time Lauren' he repeated 'Come here' he pulled her into his arms and he held her tightly, she frowned feeling a little confused and awkward. 'Did you mean what you said? Downstairs?' he asked her, she stiffened his arms and didn't reply 'You said you loved me' he said, Lauren swallowed and he pulled back a fraction to look at her 'Do you?' he held her gaze and she swallowed nervously and nodded.

'Yes' she whispered

Joey smiled at her 'Yeah?' he moved forward and he brushed his lips gently across hers 'I love you too' he said softly before he kissed her again. His lips were gently and tender against hers, different from the other kisses that they had shared, not that she didn't like this kiss as much, she did, it was just that this kiss felt different, it was different. They'd both admitted what they'd been trying to deny for some long. They loved each other.

**AN: So they've both admitted their feelings out loud to each other. Do you think it was too soon? Do you think that they can overcome Derek attacking Lauren? Or will it make them stronger? **

**Drama is never far away from these two.**

**Enjoy and R&R **


	26. Chapter 26

Lauren closed the front door behind her and she leant up against it, a huge grin on her face.

Joey loved her. He actually told her that he loved her.

She heard her mother swear in the kitchen 'All right mum?' she called out as she took off her coat.

'Lauren is that you?' Tanya called out. 'Can you come and give me a hand please?'

'Sure' she called back, she entered the kitchen to find her mother holding a towel around her hand 'What have you done?'

'I cut my finger on the knife' she told her

'Come here let's have a look' she took her mum by the elbow and led her to the sink and turned on the tap. She carefully unwrapped the towel and inspected the cut 'It's not too bad' Lauren told her as she held Tanya's fingers under the tap. She reached for the first aid box in the cupboard to the left of the sink and put it down on the kitchen table.

'Where have you been all afternoon?' Tanya asked as she watched her daughter looking through the first aid box, pausing occasionally to pull something out and lay it on the table.

'At Joey's' Lauren replied 'Helping them work out the order of service' she told her 'Do you know how much they cost? A printer quoted Alice £350 for 50 copies. I told her I could do it for her for free. I can use my laptop and print the off at college' she said 'Joey's going to bring the proof over later, Alice wants to make some finishing touches to the wording' she went back to the sink and she turned off the tap and carefully dried Tanya's fingers with the towel and looked at the cut again 'A plaster should be okay' she said almost to herself. Tanya followed her to the table and she sat down and Lauren put some antiseptic cream on her finger and the picked up the plasters and looked through them for the right size. 'Okay you can have Fire Sam or Miss Kitty'

'Aren't there any regular plasters in there?' Tanya asked her

'Nope, I think dad used the last one when he cut his hand on the broken glass the other day' Lauren said

'Well this Miss Kitty it is' Tanya said 'How are Alice and Joey coping with all the arrangements?'

'Almost done, the Order of Service is the last thing. The flowers are ordered and the wreaths, they've finally agreed on the songs to be played in the service and the cars have been booked' she said 'and Joey's agreed to have the wake at the house…' Lauren frowned 'Do you have to invite people to a funeral?' she looked at her mum

'Sort of. You give them a funeral announcement' she told her

Oh..well maybe I'll draft something see what Joey thinks… I can print those off too and dish them out to everyone' Lauren replied 'There all done. Good as new' she said as she stuck the band aid on her mother's finger.

'Thank you' Tanya said looking at the plaster. 'You know I quite like Miss Kitty' she said and she looked at Lauren and she smiled.

Lauren packed the first aid box away and she put the towel in the washing machine and then she cleared up the chopping board and vegetables.

'How about we have Chinese tonight?' Lauren asked her 'My treat?'

'Yeah? What's brought this on?' Tanya asked her

'Well I want to apologise properly for last night' she told her 'and it's a celebration too'

'Oh?'

'Sharon and Phil liked my designs.' She told Tanya 'They gave me the job of rebranding the club and re-advertising'

'Yeah?' Tanya asked in surprise 'Lauren that's really great. Well done you' she said and she smiled at her

'And look' she pulled the cheque out of her pocket and held it out to 'My first cheque'

'£1400!' Tanya exclaimed 'Lauren! Wow. They must have been pleased'

'Yeah they were. I have a few finishing touches to do and arrange for all the printing and sign designs, leaflet delivery, which is a fair bit of work but I get the copyright to all my work and I get use it in my portfolio towards my diploma and Alice and Joey said they'd help too' she looked at her mother expectantly.

'Joey huh?' she asked Lauren. 'He put in a good word with you with Sharon, you're helping with the funeral arrangements…. You know when he first came to Walford I thought he was going to be just like Derek. But he isn't. He's a really nice young man. And he's certainly taken a shine to you'

'What do you mean?' Lauren asked her hoping she sounded casual

'Well you two have been spending a lot of time together lately'

'We get on well' Lauren said 'He's close to my age, we have the same taste in music, films and books, and we have a laugh'

Tanya smiled 'He's a good influence on you, like an older brother' Tanya said 'It's good that you two have so much in common, that you get on well' she told her thoughtfully. 'So what are going to spend the money on?'

'I'm going to save it' she told her 'I thought maybe if I saved enough I could apply for the Art College in Paris for next year, I could support myself for a while until I found a job to bring in some extra money.

'You really want to go to that college don't you?' Tanya asked her

'Yeah yeah I do' Lauren nodded 'And Joey said if I want something enough, work hard enough that anything is possible'

'Did he now' Tanya said 'Wiser than his years that one' she said and she looked at her plaster and smiled 'You know I think a Chinese would be great, why don't you invite Alice and Joey over too. You can show them the proofs on your laptop'

'Okay I'll call them.' Lauren said 'In the meantime why don't you go put your feet up in front of the tv?'

'You know what. I think I will' Tanya said and she stood up, she put her hand on top of Lauren's and squeezed gently. 'I'm sorry too Lauren. For the things that I said last night and this morning. I'm very proud of you'

Lauren's smile lit up her whole face 'Thanks mum'

'You know you should do that more often'

'What? Buy Chinese for dinner?'

'Smile' Tanya said 'You look so beautiful when you smile. My beautiful baby girl' Tanya smiled at her.

'Go sit down. I'll bring you a glass of wine after I've called Joey and told him what to get from the Chinese' she said

**AN: So what did you think about the mother daughter scene? Will it last or will something happen that will ruin everything? **

**Do you thank Tanya is suspicious of Lauren's relationship with Joey or does she really think that they're just cousins who are close friends?'**

**Keep reading to find out…. R&R and enjoy. **


	27. Chapter 27

Lauren sat at the dining room table with her lap top in front of her, Alice and Joey seated either side of her as she worked on the design for the order of service. Alice was being her usual indecisive self, changing her mind time and time again about the size of the font or the font itself.

Joey groaned in frustration as she changed her mind for the 20th time in the space of 5 minutes.

'What was wrong with the last one?' Joey asked as he squeezed Lauren's knee under the table.

'I don't know I just think that I like this one better' Alice said 'What do you think?' she looked at Joey

'I already said that any of them look fine Al' he told her 'Just make a decision and stick with it' he told her as he slid his hand a little ways passed Lauren's knee.

Alice sighed 'I don't know, Lauren, what do you think?' Alice asked her

Lauren glanced at her and then back at the computer screen and fiddled with the fonts. 'I think this one' she said 'it's elegant, old school, easy to read. I think this is the one that would look better' she told Alice. Joey watched in awe as Lauren's fingers danced over the keyboard and suddenly the screen split into two halves with two copies of the document showing in two different fonts 'See' she said Alice peered at the screen leaning in closer, causing Lauren to shift slightly in her chair and lean against Joey. His hand crept higher up her leg and squeezed her thigh, she turned her head just a fraction towards him, his face was a mask of normalcy. She narrowed her eyes at him.

'Yeah I think you're right Lauren, this one does look better. Joey?'

'Yeah it does' he replied 'Much better' his thumb was rubbing small circles on her thigh, she shifted in her chair and her hand disappeared under the table to take his hand off her leg and put it on his own, he hid a grin, knowing that he was affecting her.

'So this one then?' Lauren asked them both

'Yep definitely' Alice decided.

'Okay well I will go upstairs and send this to the printer and then come down and show you the finished document' she told them, Joey stood up to let her out 'It'll take about 5 minutes or so' Lauren told them.

'I need the bathroom' Joey announced. Lauren smiled to herself and they left Alice sitting at the table and then walked up the stairs. Lauren opened the door to her room and stepped inside.

Joey came in behind her and he brushed her hair away from her neck and shoulders with one hand and started to cover her neck and throat with little kisses and nips.

'This isn't the bathroom. That's next door' she told him with a smile

'I know' he replied continuing his journey down her neck with his lips 'I have been here before' he told her.

'Someone come in'

'Yeah they could and we'd hear coming up the stairs' he replied

'Joey…..' she scolded him softly, she wriggled away from him and moved around her room and turned on her printer. She put the laptop down on her desk and she waited a few moments before she hit a few buttons, moments later the printer whirred to life.

'Come over tonight' Joey said coming up to stand behind her, she turned round to look at him

'I can't' she told him she took both of her hands in his

'For an hour or so' he pleaded with her

'Joey I can't' she said again shaking her head 'you know I want to but what would I tell mum?' she asked him 'She's going to start getting suspicious if I keep falling asleep at your place'

'Who said anything about sleep?' he said pulling her towards him, his lips inches from hers, she smiled at him

'I thought we were taking thinks slowly, waiting?' she asked him

'Yeah I know..we are…we were… we are' he said and he pressed his lips against her 'I just .. I want you so badly.'

Lauren let go of his hands and she slowly slid her hands over his t-shirt covered chest and lopped them around his neck

'I want you too Joey…but I don't want our first time to be some quick fumble where we could be interrupted at any second' she told him 'I want it to be special' she blushed a little, Joey smiled

'It will be' he told her softly 'I promise, babe I'm going to blow your mind' he boasted.

'Yeah? Well maybe I'll blow yours' she replied and she leant in for a kiss, she tasted her lips with the tongue and then slowly pushing it inside his mouth, her finger nails gently scratching the hair at the back of his neck, he gave a soft moan.

The printer beeped signalling that it was done. Lauren broke the kiss and she turned to look at the papers.

Joey slid his hands around her waist behind his head to whisper in his ear 'You know all this talk of blowing…..' he trailed his lips along on throat and he pressed his arousal against her bottom.

Lauren giggled and turned off the printer and picked up the papers 'Joseph Branning!' she exclaimed pretending to be shocked 'Behave! My parents are down stairs…and your sister'

'Well you can't blame a bloke for trying' he grinned against her neck. She wriggled free again and walked to the door

'I think you might need to start taking some cold showers' she told him with a grin. 'I'll see you downstairs when you've … ' she glanced at the prominent bulge in the front of his jeans 'You know' she said and she purposely licked her lips slowly, seductively.

Joey groaned 'Babe that's not fair'

'Neither was what you were doing under the table' she replied 'Payback's a bitch Joey' Lauren told him sweetly and she left the room leaving Joey a little hot and bothered.

**AN: So what did you think of this chapter? Did you like it?' Do you want more?' R&R. **


	28. Chapter 28

**AN: Especially for Lovelove94...enjoy **

Lauren walked into the Café Saturday morning and ordered a coffee. Tyler, Whitney, and Joey and Alice were all seated at a table.

'Hey come and join us' Alice said with a smile.

Lauren pulled a chair over from an adjoining table and sat down at the end of the table next to Alice and Tyler.

'How come you're up so early this morning?' Whitney asker her.

'Didn't sleep well, I had a lot of things on my mind' she said glancing at Joey who smirked as he took a sip of coffee. 'Plus Oscar woke me up at 5:00am, mum and dad have taken him to the zoo today and he wanted to know what animals he would see there'

'Well for someone who didn't sleep well you don't look that bad for it' Tyler said

Whitney looked at her and narrowed her eyes at me 'You have a kind of glow about you' she said

'Yeah well that's because after every one had left the house Bob and I got re-aquainted' Lauren told them as she raised her coffee to her lips and took a drink.

Tyler choked on his coffee, all eyes moved to Tyler with a confused look. Tyler put his cup down and continued with his coughing fit. Whitney patted him on the back and he raised his hand to tell her that he was fine.

'Who is Bob?' Alice asked with a frown 'I didn't know you were seeing someone' she turned to look at Joey 'Did you know Lauren was seeing someone?'

'Bob isn't a he' Lauren said 'Bob is an it' she explained. Joey glanced at Tyler frowning slightly at his reaction, and then he looked at Whitney and Lauren. The two girls exchanged a secret knowing smile.

'What? I don't understand' Alice said clearly confused.

'A single girl's best friend' Whitney said, Alice shook her head

'Battery Operated Boyfriend… Bob' Lauren said, Alice still looked confused, Lauren smirked at Joey as she whispered in Alice's ear

'Oh… oh!' Alice exclaimed, her cheeks going pink. 'You have one of those?'

'Mmhmm' Lauren nodded and she picked up her coffee cup and took a sip, she peered at Joey over the top of the coffee cup and saw that he was watching her, his eyes dark with lust. 'Best shower ever. And on the plus side all you have to do it pop him back in his box when you've finished' she said with a grin.

'Where did you get it from?' Alice asked her curiousity now piqued, Joey noticed that Tyler looked about as uncomfortable as he felt at the topic of conversation.

'Okay Alice I am sure that we don't need to be discussing this at 8:30am on a Sunday morning' Joey said, her gaze shot to her brother and she licked her lips and the she looked at me.

'I'll tell you later Alice when your, older over protective big brother isn't around' Lauren told her. Joey gave Lauren an angry look, she smiled sweetly at him.

'So what are your plans for today?' Whitney asked her friend

'Well seeing that it's a very rare occasion that I have the house to myself ….' She glanced up at Joey to see if he had taken the hint, but he was watching Tyler 'I thought I would have a little alone time so I can pamper myself'

'I would love to do that' Whitney said 'There's always someone at mine' she frowned. 'I can't remember the last time I had some time alone'

Lauren looked at her best friend. If Joey wasn't going to take the hint then she'd invite Whitney over. It had been a long time since the two of them had spent any time together, just the two of them, drinking wine, putting the world to rights.

'So come over to mine' Lauren said 'We can have some wine. Put on some music, watch some movies while we pamper and preen' she turned to Alice 'you too'

Whitney grinned at her 'Yeah I'd like that we haven't done that in ages' she said and she looked at Tyler 'Is that alright Ty?' she asked him, Tyler turned to look at her and he nodded and he smiled

'Yeah course it is.' he said to her. I'm sure Joey and I can find something to do to keep us occupied'

'Like watching footie in the pub?' Alice asked them both.

'If it's on' Joey shrugged casually.

'Oaky well I am going to go… get a few essentials ready. So I will see you girls at 11:00am?' Lauren asked and she glanced at Joey again, this time he was looking at her and appeared to have got the message.

'Yeah okay..do you want us to bring anything?' Alice asked her.

'Just your bathrobes and slippers and a supply of wine' Lauren said

'I can get you some from the club' Joey said 'I'll bring it over' he looked at Lauren letting her know that he had taken the hint.

'Thanks' Lauren said 'Use the back door?' she said and he nodded.

'See you at 11 then girls' Lauren said and she drank another few mouthfuls of coffee and then left the café. Joey stared after her.

Lauren had borrowed some things from Booties and she had them laid out on the dining room table. She had selected some music from her vast cd collection and was putting them in order of play when she heard the back door open into the kitchen. She smiled knowing it was Joey. She licked her lips and heard him put some bottles of wine down on the table

'Lauren?' he called out

'In here' she replied, she put the last cd down and turned to see Joey walking through the door

'Wines on the kitchen table' he told her as she looked the various bottles of lotions she had arranged on the dining room table 'Wow .. you've gone all out here' he said and he picked one of the bottle up and unscrewed the lid and sniffed it, he wrinkled his nose clearly not liking the smell, he put the lid back on and dropped the bottle back into its spot on the table. He noticed how every things was perfectly aligned, in order. 'Do we have a little OCD going on here?' he said waving his hand at the table.

'No' she said with a frown, glancing at the table, she looked at Joey and realised her was teasing her and she slapped him lightly on the arm

'Shut up' he laughed at him

'Admit you were worried there for a spilt second' he said as he caught her hand in his and tugged her towards him, her hands came to rest on his shoulders,

'I do not have OCD' he told him 'I just like everything to be in the right place in an order….' She trailed off and she giggled softly 'Okay maybe I do have a touch of OCD' she admitted to him, she raised her face to his and their lips met in a soft kiss.

'So tell me, did Bob satisify you in the shower this morning?' he asked her his eyes were dark again. She shook her head and whispered a reply back

'No.. just took the edge off'

Joey began moving her backwards, she felt the wall between the bureau and the door behind her back and she swallowed in eager anticipation.

'Maybe I can help?' Joey asked her, she looked up at him and nodded, Joey kissed her then, his tongue sliding lazily into her mouth, she gasped as she felt his fingers stoking her through her sweatpants.

'Mmm' she moaned softly into his mouth.

Joey's hand slid down inside the front of her sweatpants and into her panties, she gave another soft moan of appreciation and then gasped loudly when he pushed one finger inside her. He moved the finger slowly, her juices coating him, he inserted another finger and then a few minutes later another, his tongue began to copy the thrusting motion of his fingers between her legs. She was close to coming and her hands clutched at his hair. She heard him undo his zip and she worried for a brief moment that he was going to take her up against the wall in her parents lounge and their agreement of a "special" first time would be lost, he groaned into her mouth and she realised that Joey was pleasuring himself with one hand, whilst the fingers of his other were thrusting inside her in a slow steady rhythm, all the time they were still kissing each other hungrily. His thumb circled around her clit, not touching it, but teasing it, he could feel her trembling against his body, he increased the pace of his hand on his cock and he broke this kiss to rest his head on her shoulder, Lauren was gasping and moaning he turned his head and nuzzled her neck with his nose before he started to kiss her neck, she trembled again and gave a breathy sigh as he found the spot on her neck that he found was particularly sensitive and he paid special attention to it, he sucked the skin into his mouth, as he increased the pace in his fingers inside her, she was so wet now, his thumb brushed lightly over her clit and she bucked her hips towards his seeking more. Joey could feel his own release building and he gripped his cock a little tighter and stroked himself harder, he could feel the precum dribbling down the underside of his head. He removed his lips from her neck long enough to whisper to her.

'Are you close baby?' he asked her 'Are you ready to come for me?' his thumb once again brushed against her clit and she whimpered

'Please Joey … need to come please' she begged him softly. He smiled against her neck and sucked on the skin again, grazing it lightly with his teeth, before sucking on it a little harder. He pressed hard on her clit 'Oh god Joey! There! More! There!' she cried out softly. He took pity on her and began to rub her clit in small circles, he felt her trembling increase and he knew that any second she was going to come around his fingers for the second time. 'Shit! Ah! Joey! ' she cried out again and her orgasm hit her, Joey felt himself pulsing and he groaned against her neck as the muscles of her vagina clench hungrily around his fingers. He came with a guttural moan against her neck, his breathing erratic, his fingers and thumb kept up their torture and he drained every last drop of pleasure he could from her body.

They were both still breathing hard and fast, she felt Joey kiss her neck softly as he carefully slipped his fingers out of her and then removed his hand from the front of her sweatpants. She turned her head to his and they kissed each other tenderly. Joey pulled away once he was certain she wouldn't collapse to the floor and he looked down at the mess her had made. He had come all over her t-shirt. He reached behind him and grabbed one of the towels off the table and he carefully wiped his now extremely sensitive penis and tucked himself back into jeans. Although he wanted to lick his fingers clean he knew it would be too risky and would probably set things off between them again so he reluctantly wiped them on the towel and then he wiped the remnants of his climax off her t-shirt with an apologetic smile.

'Better?' he asked her

'Much better…. For now' she replied and he moved forward to kiss him, he willingly obliged, dropping the towel onto the floor as he pulled her against him, after a while they both groaned at the same time. Lauren broke the kiss as she felt his lips becoming more demanding and another part of his anatomy becoming interested again. 'The girls will be here soon' she said breaking the moment between them. Joey smiled and he nodded

'I know' he replied, he kissed her lightly and he led him to the back door. He turned to look at her and he captured her mouth with his for another kiss. 'Love you' he whispered and then he was gone. He strode across the square with a huge grin on his face, unaware that someone had seen him coming out of Lauren's house.

**AN: Who was it that saw Joey leaving Lauren's house? Do they suspect something? Did they see something?**

**All will be revealed in further chapters…. Read on enjoy and R&R. **


	29. Chapter 29

The day with Alice and Whitney had been a great success. The girls had a lot of fun and laughed a lot. Alice had told them stories about her and Joey growing up and Lauren had listened to those with great interest. She had even sold some of her mum's beauty products to them. Whitney and Alice left at 4:00pm and Lauren had cleaned everything away and boxed up the unopened products to take back to the salon and left a little pile of money on the bureau. She's even taken the towels to the laundrette and had those ready to go back to Booties. She felt a little tired and decided that she would go upstairs and have a little nap before her parents got home and she had to ready for her date with Joey.

When Lauren woke up the room was dark. She frowned and rolled over and sat up, she looked at the clock. It was 8:00pm. She grabbed her phone and frowned when she saw she didn't have any missed calls or texts from Joey. She clambered off the bed and into the bathroom.

Few minutes later she walked down the stairs and into the lounge. Abi and Jay were smooching on the sofa. 'Where's mum and dad?' Lauren asked Abi, Abi pulled away from Jay and looked at her sister

'Over at the Vic with Uncle Jack and Sharon' Abi said to her

'Did anyone call for me?' she asked her

'No' Abi shook her head and she turned back to Jay.

'Oh right' she walked into the hallway and she looked at her hair and makeup and in the mirror 'I'm going out Abs' Lauren called out as she grabbed her coat she made sure that she had some money and she walked out of the house and across the square to the Vic. She went inside and a loud cheer rang out, she jumped, a little startled and then realised that there was football match on. She sighed and walked around the packed pub looking for her parents or Joey. She found her mother and Sharon seated at a table and she walked over to them both.

'Why didn't you wake me when you got back?' she asked her mother as she looked around the pub for Joey

'You looked so peaceful' Tanya replied with a smile 'and I know Oscar was in your room several times last night asking you about the animals at the zoo' she said 'Who are you looking for?' she asked noticing her daughter's distraction.

'Joey. We were supposed to be checking out a new club in the West End' she told her with a frown

'Oh I don't think that's on the cards tonight darling. He's over there somewhere with your father and Uncle jack' she replied 'Practically abandoned us as soon as they got us a drink'

'Why don't you come and join us?' Sharon said 'It'll be half time soon, I'm sure you'll be able to find Joey then'

Lauren looked at her 'Yeah you're probably right. I'll just get a drink' she headed to the bar.

Roxy served her and then she joined her mum and Sharon at the table. 'Oh what's the box of stuff from my salon doing on the lounge table?' mum asked her

'Oh me Whit and Alice had a girls pampering day and I borrowed some things from the Sharon, I checked with Poppy and she said that it would be okay' she told her 'I even sold some of those weird smelling things to them, there was a little pile of money on the table and I washed the towels at the launderette' Lauren told her 'I meant to take them back after I woke up from my nap…which was only supposed to be half an hour not four.' She told her. 'I'll take them back in the morning'

'Leave them, I'll take them back Monday' Tanya said with a smile. 'And keep the money. Put it towards your savings?'

'Thanks Mum' Lauren smiled

The football match came to half time and Lauren saw the men disperse. She stood up to look for Joey, she saw him sitting at the front with Tyler, she smiled and started to make her way over to them, she saw Lucy walk over and hand Joey a pint and then she sat down beside him. Tyler stood up after saying something to Joey and he saw Lauren, the look on her confused him slightly and then he looked at Joey and Lucy. He remembered that he'd seen Joey walking out of Lauren's house earlier in the day and something clicked. Lauren's eyes met his and she blushed and then turned around and went back to rejoin her mother, Jack and Max were there.

'Can't find him?' mum asked

'He's with Lucy' she replied and she picked up her orange juice and finished it. She got up and went to the bar, waiting to be served.

'She came in and sat down with us about 15 minutes ago' Tyler said, she turned and saw him next to her 'She's been flirting with him since she got here but he hasn't shown any interest in her'

'Why are you telling me this?' Lauren asked him as Tracy put a fresh drink down in front of her, she handed Tracy the right money

'Well I just thought you might want to know' he said with a shrug

'Joey is a big boy Tyler. He can choose his own friends'

'Yeah I know, it's just that I saw Joey leave your house this morning' he said

'So' she turned to look at him

'Well he had this big cheesy grin on his face' Tyler said 'and you and I used to date and I remember what used to make me grin like that after I'd seen you' Lauren blinked at him and he grabbed his arm, leaving her drink forgotten on the bar and she dragged him out of the pub, and through into the gardens and then she turned to look at him

'You can't say anything' she told him 'to anyone and that includes Whitney' she said firmly

'Hey you know me better than that' Tyler said looking a little offended 'But what are you thinking hey?' he asked her 'Joey? Of all people.'

'Shh! Keep your voice down!' she hissed at him

'He's your cousin'

'Yes thank you Tyler I am well aware of that fact thank you' she said to him

'He's the guy that Lucy's keen on sinking her claws into'

'Yes I know that too. But he doesn't want to be with her' she told him

'So how long as it been going on for. You and Joey?' he asked her

'After he broke up with Lucy' she replied

'He kissed her at Whitney's party the other day'

'He was trying to make me jealous' Lauren replied 'Look Ty. I promise that I will tell you everything but not now not tonight. Can we just get back to the Vic?' she asked him

'Okay fine you can tell me everything on Monday. I'll but you lunch at the Vic'

'Not the Vic' Lauren shook her head 'I'll meet in the Silver Fox near college at 1:30pm' she promised.

'Okay' he said nodding his head. The two of them walked back into the Vic 'Why don't you come and join us hey?' he asked her

She shook her head 'No I'm going to go back to mum' she said to him 'we seem to be going through a getting on phase at the moment so…' she trailed off and licked her lips. 'I'll see you on Monday' she told him. Tyler retook his seat with Joey and Lucy

'Where did you go?' Joey looked at him

'Oh I was just talking to Lauren' Tyler said to him casually

'Lauren's here? Lucy asked with a frown

'Yeah sitting with her mum' Tyler told her.

'Shoot what time is it?' Joey asked and he grabbed Lucy's wrist and he looked at her watch 'Shit! I promised Lauren that I'd take her to the new club up the West End tonight' he said

'Why?' Lucy asked him

'To thank her for helping me and Al with all the funeral arrangements' he said and he got up. Lucy scowled at him as he walked off in search of Lauren.

He saw her at the table, Uncle Jack giving her a hug, she was laughing hard. He smiled and he walked over to the table

'Hey' he said. Lauren looked up at him

'Hey she replied

'What have you given u your seat at the front have you?' Max said

'Well yeah I guess' Joey said with a confused frown. Max and Jack exchanged glances and then both stood up and made a run for the seat.

'Oh well you've definitely lost your seat now' mum said to him.

'Can I join you?' he asked

'On one condition' mum said as she rummaged in her purse, she pulled out a £20 note 'We're thirsty' she told him 'Vodka tonic for Sharon, White wine for me, whatever you're having and Lauren?'

'Coke please' Lauren said not missing her mother raising her eyebrows in surprise. 'I'll give you a hand' Lauren said and she got up followed him to the bar.

'I'm really sorry about tonight Lauren. I was engrossed in the football' he told her

'Its okay. I fell asleep. I only woke up about 30 minutes ago so apologies not needed' Tracy came up to them and they fell quiet and she served them their drinks 'You can go back to the football if you want' she said to him as she picked her drink and his.

'It's okay, I think either Uncle Jack or Max have got my seat. Besides Lucy's there' he replied 'and I'd rather be with you'

'Good save' Lauren said with a smile 'Even if I did come in third' she teased him as they made their way back to the table. As they went to sit down Tanya got up.

'I just to need to pop to the little girls room' she said

'I'll come with you' Sharon said giving me a wink. Joey and I sat down and next to each other as close as we could. I took a sip of coke

'Alice looked so happy when she was in here earlier' Joey told me 'Thank you for today. She really needed that'

'Yeah well we all did to be truthful. Whit and I used to do that all the time before she and Tyler together'

'Not Lucy?'

'No. We never invited her to be honest' she said 'She knew about us meeting up but it was okay'

Joey picked up his pint and took a sip. 'I looked into some B&B's' he told me 'I've got the print outs at home. Maybe we could go back look at the later?' he asked her

'Yeah should be able to' she nodded.

'Are you okay?' he looked at her a little concerned.

'Mmm oh yeah I'm fine' she said nodding her head 'We can take at yours' she said

'Do we have something to talk about?' he asked her

'Later' she said as Sharon and mum returned and took their seats.

**AN: So Tyler was the person who saw them…bet you all thought I was Lucy or Tanya. **

**More later… maybe….. R&R **


	30. Chapter 30

Joey finished his pint and he looked at Lauren 'Are you ready Lauren?' Joey asked her

'Yeah' she nodded and she stood up.

'Er where are you going?' mum asked me

'To Joey's Lauren replied

'Not clubbing then'

'No it's too late for clubbing' Lauren told her 'I won't be late' she said, mum watched as Joey put his hand on the small of her back as he guided her out of the pub.

'He's such a nice boy' mum said to Sharon 'he's been such a good influence on Lauren since he came back to Walford. It's a shame he wasn't around when she was younger'

'Yeah shame' Sharon said picking up her drink.

Joey unlocked the front door and we went inside, 'Can I make a coffee?' she asked him

'You don't even need to ask' he said 'I'll go get the papers' he told her.

She had just settled on the sofa when Joey came in. He saw she had made him a coffee too and he smiled 'Thanks babe' he said softly as he sat down and he put his arm around me

'So where did you decide we'd go?' she asked him

'Brighton' Joey said 'Mum used to take us there when we were little' he said as he handed her the papers. ' I printed off a few of the B&B's so let me know which one you like the look of and I'll book it' he told her

She took the papers from him and he draped his arm around her shoulders and she leant against him as she read them. He noticed she looked at one longer than the others and then when she read the prices, her face fell a little and she pulled another piece of paper out and looked at it 'This one' she said

'Are you sure?'

'Mmhmm' she said and she gave him the papers back and he put them on table.

'I'll book tomorrow. We can go down on the train, the station is a short taxi ride to the B&B' she said. He sat back again 'So are you going to tell me what's bothering you'

Lauren sighed 'Tyler saw you leaving my house earlier today. He know about us Joey'

'I'm your cousin' Joey said 'I'm allowed to visit' he told me

'No Joey you don't understand. He knows that we are together'

'How?' he frowned

'Will you just trust me on this please? He said he won't say anything not even to Whitney. But he wants to me to meet him for lunch on Monday'

'Why?' he questioned

'Because he wants to know what happened' she said to him 'Because he wants to talk to me about it'

'Why is he so interested?' Joey asked her. Lauren sat forward to pick up her coffee '

'He's just a little protective of me that's all' she said

'Why's that?' Joey asked his voice tight.

Lauren sighed and closed her eyes 'We used to see each other, before he hooked up with Whitney'

'You and Tyler?'

'Yeah me and Tyler' Lauren nodded and she took a sip of coffee and put the cup back down on the table and leant back against Joey. 'It was only for 6 months or so' she explained to him, she turned head to look at him, and she saw his jaw twitching, she pressed a kiss against it 'It wasn't anything serious and I have no feelings for him whatsoever' she told him and she pressed another kiss to his jaw. She turned in his arms to look at him 'Hey. I love you' she told him, Joey looked down at her and he smiled and she kissed him on the lips.

**AN: Just small chapter this time. Debated about taking this one out but then realised other parts of the story wouldn't make sense. **

**Hope you are enjoying this story. R&R **

**For the B&B Joey's taking Lauren to check out**

**Brighton marina house hotel –four poster french provencal with sea view**


	31. Chapter 31

Lauren hated Mondays.

This Monday she hated even more than other Mondays.

She slept through her alarm and was late for College.

She ripped her favourite shirt after getting it caught in a door at the café across the road from College.

She had spilt hot coffee all over her legs and feet.

A jobs worth at college had caught her using the photocopier at College when she was making copies of the Order of Service for Derek's funeral and had reported her to the Dean for misuse of college equipment.

She had to endure a 45 minute lecture on rules and regulations of using college property for personal use.

She was late to her Media Studies class and the tutor had made her sit in the only spare seat at the front of the class and apologize to them all for being late and disrupting them.

The talk with Tyler hadn't gone as well as she hoped, she'd been in a bad mood already before she went into the pub and she snapped at him when he tried to tell her how concerned he was about her relationship with Joey and make her see the potential devastating consequences that this unconventional relationship would have on their family, their friendships. They'd ended up having a blazing row which had put Lauren in even more of bad mood.

She had received numerous texts from Lucy asking her if she had spoken to Joey yet as per their agreement and then presumably after Tyler had got back to the square, she had texts from Whitney asking why Tyler was in such a bad mood and what had she done to upset him.

Lauren got off the tube at Walford and walked through the platform and out in to the square. She let herself into the house and dumped all her bags and papers onto the table. She pulled out the half bottle of vodka that she had brought on the way home and she took it into the living room and she unscrewed the lid and took a long drink.

Max came home at 4:30pm with Oscar in tow 'Lauren!' he called out as he walked through the house. He made his way up the stairs.

'Lolly's here daddy' Oscar called out from the living room.

Max sighed and he started to come down stairs when he heard Oscar choking, retching. He ran into the room and scooped him arm 'What's wrong mate?' he asked. Oscar pointed to the glass on the table and Max frowned and he picked it up and sniffed it. He glared at Lauren angrily and he looked at Oscar 'Let's get you some water hey?' he asked him and he nodded.

Max took him into the kitchen and he poured him some water 'Here drink this' he said. After a few minutes Max looked at Oscar 'Are you all right now?' he asked him. Oscar nodded. 'Yeah good boy. Why don't you go upstairs and play in your room for a bit hey?' he asked him. He put Oscar down and he heard him scurry up the stairs. He looked at the glass of water and he walked into the lounge and threw it on Lauren.

She woke with a shriek. 'What the hell?' she sat up and wiped the water off her face. She saw Max standing over her with the glass. 'What did you do that for?' she asked him with a frown.

'Your little brother just stood her choking and retching because he took a mouthful of what's in that glass' he snapped at her, Lauren's eyes darted to the glass on the coffee table in front of her.

'Is he okay?' she asked him

'Yes he's okay' Max said to her 'He's up playing in his room' Lauren glanced towards the stairs,

'I don't understand you Lauren' he frowned her 'Passed out drunk on the sofa at this time of the day'

'I wasn't drunk' she said to him 'I'd barely taken a sip' she reached for the bottle on the floor and she picked it up to show him 'look' she said, Max looked at the bottle,

'It's nearly empty Lauren' he said with a frown, she looked at the bottle and she shook her head

'It must have leaked, I couldn't have put the lid back on properly' she told him, she put her hand on the floor expecting to find it wet, but it was dry.

'You were supposed to pick Oscar up from school today. Poor little boys been there for over an hour waiting for his sister. The schools been calling the house, your mother, she called me' he said 'I've had to close the car lot. Turn away a buyer'

'I'm sorry dad I…..'

'No Lauren that's not good enough' he snapped angrily 'I am sick and tired of the way you've been acting. It's about time you started taking responsibility for your actions. Your 19 years old Lauren. It's about time you started acting like it' he frowned. 'Your mother is furious with you' he told me. 'Things are going to start to change around here! You can make dinner tonight and clean up and tomorrow you are going to take Oscar to school and pick him up. You will come to the car lot after you have taken him to school and clean all the cars inside and out. You will not bring any more alcohol into this house do you hear me?' he shouted at her

'Yes' she nodded

'It's about time you started pulling your weight around here, this isn't a hotel Lauren. And it's about time you started paying rent.'

'I haven't got a job' she said with a frown

'Then get off your backside and get one!' he shouted at her 'In the meantime you can pay £150 a month out of the money you got from Sharon'

'That's for College' she frowned at him

'I don't care Lauren.' Max snapped at her 'I'm not joking around here. Enough is enough' he said. He licked his lips and he rubbed his face with his hand 'Go outside and get some fresh air sober up. And do not come back here even drunker Lauren' he told her.

Lauren got up putting the vodka bottle of the table. She grabbed her coat, bag and keys and she walked out of the house. She walked through the square, Tyler, Whitney and Lucy all tried to talk to her but she ignored them. She went to tube and she got on it.

She got home as the market was closing up. She walked back home and let herself in. She put her coat and bag on the floor and went into the kitchen. Tanya looked at her as she came in, she opened her mouth to tell her off but looking at Lauren, the blank stare on her face stopped her.

'Oscar's fine' she said softly 'Just had a bit of a shock is all'

Lauren didn't reply, she washed her hands and towelled them dry and she started to make dinner.

Max and Lauren didn't speak to each other throughout dinner, the atmosphere was tense. Abi and Tanya exchanged glances. Lauren barely ate anything and when everyone had finished she gathered all the plates away and she carried them into the kitchen. She cleaned up in there too and then picked up her bag and coat and she went up to her room. She lay down on the bed and curled into a ball, hugged her pillow close and sobbed into it.

Downstairs, Tanya went to close the curtains 'Urgh! What's this on the floor?' she said as she stood on something, she knelt down 'Why is the floor wet?' she asked Max.

'I don't know… Lauren said that she thought that she hadn't put the lid back on the vodka bottle…' Max replied.

Tanya knelt down and touched the patch of wetness and then held her fingers to her nose. 'Its vodka' she said 'she was telling the truth' Tanya told him 'What exactly did you say to her?'

'We had words that's all' Max shrugged

'Yeah I know you Max. You and Lauren have had rows before but I have never seen her act the way she did tonight' she frowned at him.

'Look I had a bad day… I may have gone a bit overboard…. I thought she was drunk on the sofa…'

'Well clearly she wasn't' Tanya said to him with a frown 'Go up talk to her' she said to him.

Max sighed 'Can't it wait until morning?'

'No Max it can't' she told him. He grumbled as he got off the chair and took the stairs 2 at a time. He knocked lightly on Lauren's door and then he pushed it open. He found Lauren fully dressed on the bed asleep and Oscar curled up beside her.

'Oscar? What are you doing in here mate?' he asked him.

Oscar looked at Max and he held his finger to his lips

'Ssh. Lolly's sleeping' Oscar whispered 'she was crying so Oscar cuddled her' he told him

'Let's put you back in your own bed'

'No stay with Lolly' Oscar shook his head 'Go 'way daddy'

Max shut the door and went back downstairs. Tanya looked up 'That was quick' she said

'She's asleep' he told her 'Oscar's with her, he said she'd been crying'

'Not surprised. All she did was fall asleep on the sofa and not pick up Oscar, hardly the end of the world is it?' she asked him.

**AN: Will Max apologise in the morning now that he realises that Lauren wasn't drunk? **

**Was it really her fault that Oscar drank from her glass of vodka?**

**Will Lauren accept Max's apology? Will Tyler and Lauren make up after their argument?**

**All will be revealed in the next few chapters…..**

**R&R. Thanks**


	32. Chapter 32

Lauren woke at 5:00am the next morning and she smiled when she saw Oscar sleeping soundly beside her. She got up and showered and dressed and made herself some coffee. She took the keys to the car lot and shut the front door quietly behind her and crossed the square. She got back to the house at 7:00am and she got Oscar up and dressed him and got him ready for school, she made him breakfast and cleaned up in the kitchen when she was done. She picked up Oscar's lunch and put it in his bag and she took him to school. She went back to the car lot and she finished cleaning the cars.

She had just finished cleaning up at 9:30am when Max arrived. 'Lauren! Why didn't you wake us? Abi was late for Sixth Form' Max frowned at her

'Oh and I suppose that's my fault that Abi probably pressed the snooze button too many times or that you didn't set your alarm.' She frowned at him 'Why not blame me? You blame me for everything else' she flung the cloth she was holding in her hand into the bucket by the car lot.

'Come on Lauren don't be that way' he said to her

'Oscar's at school. I've cleaned all the cars inside and out. Is there anything else you want me to do? Or can I go to College now?' she shouted at him. 'I'm going to be late for my first lecture by the way or doesn't that matter? Is it only Abi's education that matters?' Max looked at the people that were starting to gather around watching us. One of them was Sharon.

'Lauren come inside we'll talk about this' Max said 'Look I'm sorry …'

'There's nothing to talk about' Lauren shook her head, she reached into her pocket and she pulled out the money that she had withdrawn from the bank and she walked over to Max 'Here you want rent money? Take it' she said and she slapped it onto his chest 'Take everything I've saved' she told him angrily 'Because what I want isn't important to you is it? I'm just a big joke….the drunk …...well you know what I'm done with it. With all of it' she told him as hot angry tears stung the back of her eyes.

Lauren went home and she went upstairs and she picked up the two rucksacks she had packed earlier and grabbed her mobile phone and her jacket and she looked at the house and she pulled her keys out of her pocket and she dropped them on the hall table and she shut the door behind her, she walked down the steps of the house and stood on the street shaking. Lucy came over to her and she took one of her bags

'Come on we'll go to mine' she said and she put her arm around her and led her back to her place.

Once inside Lauren put the bag down and she walked to the sofa and sat down

'Are you okay?' Lucy asked her

Lauren looked at her in amazement 'Do I look okay?' she frowned

'Yeah..sorry. Stupid question' she nodded 'why don't you let me make you a coffee?'

'Have you got anything stronger?' Lauren asked her

'It's 10:00am Lauren' Lucy replied a little shocked

'I didn't ask you what the time was I asked you if you had anything stronger to drink' Lauren snapped at her. Lucy stared at her friend a little hurt by her tone 'I'm sorry Luce' Lauren told her and she buried her face in her hands.

'I'll make you that coffee' Lucy said uncertainly and she went into the kitchen.

Sharon walked into the club and saw Joey going through the early morning delivery 'Oh..I thought it was my turn to take the delivery today' she said surprised

'Yeah it was. I couldn't sleep and he came early anyway' Joey said 'The driver was unloading the boxes and stacking them by the door, so I thought I'd move them inside' he said and he frowned 'I think he's left us too many boxes of vodka' he told her as he checked the order list

'I'll sort it' she said to him with a smile. She licked her lips 'Everything okay with you and Lauren?' she asked him

Joey looked up at her 'Yeah why?' he asked her

'Well you said that you couldn't sleep so I thought maybe you and Lauren had had a fight or something?' she asked him

'No. Tommy's teething apparently, kept us all up' Joey replied and the he frowned 'Why are so interested in me and Lauren?'

'Well it's just that as I was coming to the club, Lauren and Max were at the car lot. They were really going for it. Well Lauren anyway, Max just stood there looking pretty shell shocked truth to be told' Sharon said 'They gained quite a crowd'

Joey licked his lips 'Max and Lauren were having a row?' Joey asked her

'Yeah a pretty big one' Sharon nodded

'When?' he asked her, wondering if Lauren had come clean about their relationship to her parents.

'About 20 minutes ago' Sharon told him. Joey looked at the clock and then at the stock 'Go' Sharon said 'You're not supposed to be here anyway, I'll finish up' she told him

'Thanks' Joey almost threw the clipboard at her and he grabbed his jacket off the bar and ran up the stairs of the club, he sprinted towards the square and towards Lauren's house.

'Joey! Hey Joey!' he heard Max calling his name as he took the steps to the front door two at a time 'Have you seen Lauren?' Max asked him

'No' Joey said 'I was just looking for her' he said

'Well she's not in there I've just checked' Max said 'Look if you see her will you tell her I'm looking for you and tell her…. Just tell her to come and see me okay?' he asked Joey.

Joey frowned as Max walked away, he obviously didn't know about his relationship with Lauren otherwise Joey was pretty sure that the square would be witnessing a second very public row. He wondered what they were fighting about and where his girlfriend had gone. He decided to check at home since he had given Lauren a key. When the got there he was a little disappointed to find the house empty. He went to Booties to see if she had gone to Tanya.

'Hi Joey what can I do for you?' Tanya smiled as he walked in

'Have you seen Lauren?' he asked her

'No' she shook her head 'Not since last night why?'

'I just need to talk to her that's all' he said 'I have some other places to look so … if she comes in will you ask her to call me?'

Tanya frowned 'Is everything okay Joey?' she asked him

'Yeah yeah it's fine' he nodded and he walked out.

Joey signed and put his hands on his hips 'Tanya either didn't know about the row with Max or she didn't care. He checked the Café and then pulled out his phone and dialled her number. The phone went straight to voicemail, he sighed and left a message

"_**Babe .. will you call me when you get this. I'm looking all over for you.. just call me please?" **_

Joey glanced around wondering where I would have gone, he saw Tyler and Whitney talking and he went over to them 'Have either of you seen Lauren?' he asked them

'Not since the row with Max in the square' Tyler said and he looked at Joey and saw how concerned he looked 'Have you tried calling her'

'Yes I've tried to call her. Her phone is switched off' he said with a frown 'what were they're rowing about?'

'Dunno mate I wasn't really paying all that much attention' Tyler replied 'She did give Max something though and he looked quite surprised…'

Whitney's phone started to ring and she pulled it out of her bag 'It's a text from Lucy' she said with a frown, she opened it and read it 'Lauren's there … at Lucy's, she wants me to go over' she told them.

'I'll come with you' Joey said. Whitney nodded and they made their way over to Lucy's Whitney knocked on the back door and Lucy opened it surprised to see Joey there too.

'He was with me when I got your text' Whitney explained 'where is she?'

'In the lounge' Lucy whispered 'She hasn't said anything, other than demanding I give her something stronger than coffee to drink' she told them both 'I don't know what to do' she admitted, Joey licked his lips

'Why don't you let me talk to her?' he said to them both

Lucy looked at him and frowned 'Why do you think she'd want to talk to you?'

'She was having a row with Max. It's family stuff' he told her. Lucy nodded

'Yeah I guess. Look tell her she's welcome to stay here, I can make up the spare room' she said

'I'll tell her' he said. He opened the door to the lounge and he came in closing the door behind him.

'I just want to be left alone Lucy' Lauren said without looking up 'Please?'

'It's me' Joey said softly. Lauren's head shot up to look at him 'Sharon told me what happened… she was on her way to the club' he told her 'I've been looking all over for you. So has Uncle Max'

Lauren laughed hollowly 'Uncle Max' she echoed. Joey spotted her bags on the floor.

'What happened?' he asked her, she shook her head and looked away. He crossed over the sofa and he sat down beside her, he looked down at her hands 'you're shaking' he frowned. He got up and moved to the unit and he opened it and poured her a brandy and carried it back over to her

'Here drink this' he said softly holding the glass out to her, she looked at it and took it and instead of taking a sip like Joey expected she swallowed the amber liquid down in one. He blinked and she stood up and poured herself a generous measure

'I knew Lucy was holding out on me' she said and she let out a breath. She closed her eyes and she drank half of the liquid down.

'Lauren talk to me' Joey said to her softly. 'What were you and Max arguing about?' he asked her

'Can you just go please?' Lauren asked him 'I don't want to talk to anyone'

'Hey..' Joey got up and walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, she shrugged his hands off and moved away from him as if his touch had burnt her

'Please.. Joey …please will you just go' she told him angrily 'This is all your fault. I hope you're happy now. I never should have listened to you in the first place' she shouted at him

Whitney opened the door 'Joey I think you better go' she told him. Joey stared at Lauren and she saw the hurt on his face, in his eyes, she averted her gaze, already regretting the words that had come out of her mouth, not able to take them back now, not with an audience.

'Yeah' he said quietly as he looked at the two girls in the doorway. He turned back to look at Lauren one more time and then walked out.

**AN: So Lauren blames Joey for the argument with Max or does she? Will she apologise? Will he accept? Will she accept Lucy's offer to stay there or will Max find here and smooth things over between them and take her back home? **

**Keep reading to find out. R&R as always. Thank you for your reviews, I read them all and reply to all where I can…..**


	33. Chapter 33

Lauren threw the rest of the Brandy down her throat and reached for the bottle and poured another one.

'Why did you at yell at Joey like that?' Whitney asked her softly 'What did he do?'

'Whit…' she shook her head and she looked at the glass in her hand and she put it down untouched on the table. Whitney looked at her bags 'What's happened babes?' she asked her softly 'Have you moved out?'

'I have no money and nowhere to stay' she said with a frown.

'What do you mean you've got no money?' Whitney frowned at her 'You just got a big cheque from Sharon'

'I told Joey you would be staying here' Lucy said 'He's going to come back later check that you are okay' she said with a smile

Lauren turned to look at her

'I can't stay here' Lauren shook her head

'Of course you can. In a few days things will blow over at home and you can go back' she said

'You really have no clue do you. Neither of you. You have no idea what's going on in my live right now. What I've been through. What I'm dealing with?' she frowned at her two friends 'You don't even live in the real world do you Lucy?' Lauren frowned 'What you think if I stay here that Joey's going to be over here all the time?' she asked her 'He has a girlfriend Lucy' she snapped

'Luce, look why don't you go?' Whitney asked her 'She's upset. Let me talk to her'

Lucy licked her lips and she nodded 'Okay' she said and she looked at me and then at Whitney and left and headed over to the Café.

Whitney sighed and she sat down on the sofa 'Talk to me Lauren, Lucy's gone it's just you and me' she said softly. 'Look if you don't want to stay here I'll talk to Tyler, he has a spare room in his flat I'm sure he won't mine you staying there for a while'

'Tyler and I had a fight' Whitney said 'I'm pretty sure that I'm the last person that he'll let move into his flat'

'He does what he's told' Whitney told her with a grin. Lauren looked at her and she smiled and then laughed. 'He's pretty upset about the fight you two had' she said to me 'He wouldn't tell me what it was about but I know that he wants to make things up with you'

Lauren nodded 'me too' she replied softly

'So shall I call him?' she asked her.

Twenty minutes later, Tyler and Whitney had helped her with her bags and Tyler had given her the spare keys. 'You can stay as long as you want' he told her

'I can't pay…' Lauren looked down

'Did I ask you too?' Tyler asked her 'We'll work something out okay?' he said 'If you feel up to it later meet us in the Vic for lunch' Tyler said 'my shout'

'Maybe' she replied.

'Well we'll give you some space' Tyler said.

Lauren stayed hidden in the flat until 7:00pm. She showered and got changed and fixed her hair and put on a little makeup and she walked out of the flat taking her keys and her phone. She went to the club but Carl told her that Joey wasn't working. Lauren called for him at his, Kat told her that he had gone to the Vic. Lauren stood outside the Vic and she dialled his number. Joey pulled out of his phone and he saw Lauren's name flashing on the screen, he debated whether or not to answer it, his thumb hovering over the reject button, he sighed and he pressed the screen and held the phone to his ear.

'I'm sorry' she said quietly 'I'm outside the Vic' she told him.

Joey sighed again closing his eyes, he didn't answer her, just ended the call. He left his half-drunk pint on the bar and he walked out of the pub. Lauren wasn't there. He walked quickly to the other doors and he saw her walking away.

'Lauren!' he called out

She stopped and she slowly turned around to look at him, he could see she was close to tears, he sprinted over to her and took her into his arms just as she burst into tears.

'I'm sorry Joey' she sobbed against his chest.

'It's alright Ssh, I've got you' he rocked her gently.

'Do you want me to take you back to Lucy's?' he asked her

'I'm not staying at Lucy's' she replied with a sniff. 'I'm staying with Tyler' she told him softly. Joey liked his lip and she felt him tense up, she pulled back to look at him 'I can't stay at Lucy's' she told him 'And I can't stay with you. Tyler's was the only option that I had' she told him 'Please don't be angry with me' she said and fresh tears started to fall. Joey's eyes softened

'I'm not angry with you babe' he said softly. 'Do you want to go to Tyler to talk?' he asked her

'Yes' he nodded 'He's gone out with Whitney tonight. He'll be back later though' she told him

Joey kept his arm around her as they walked slowly to Tyler's flat. She unlocked the door and led him inside. Joey looked around at the place, surprised by how clean it was, the decorations. 'It's nice' he said 'It's clean'

'I spent the day cleaning it' she said and she looked at Joey 'I'm sleeping on the sofa' she told him

'I'm not going to pretend that I'm happy about you staying in your ex-boyfriend flat' he told her 'you could stay at mine'

'We both know that wouldn't work' she told him 'and besides Kat and Alice live there too it wouldn't be fair on them to have me sleeping on the sofa' she told him

'You could sleep with me' he replied

'Nothing is going to happen between me and Tyler. You have to trust me Joey'

'I do trust you' he said 'him, not so much' he said and he walked to the window and looked out over the square. Lauren sighed and she wiped her face with her hands and she sniffed

'I'm sorry I yelled at you, blamed you.. I don't' she told him 'None of this is your fault.. I was just angry.'

'With me?' he asked looking at her

'No' she said 'With everyone but you' she told him 'The way Lucy was looking at you…..' she trailed off and she looked down 'Well let's just say you're not the only one jealous about an ex'

Joey smiled and he moved back to her and he took her hand and they sat down on the sofa together.

'You know you have nothing to worry about there' he said 'I'm a one girl man' he said. 'Now are you going to tell me what happened?' he asked her.

She sighed and nodded her head, Joey listened as Lauren explained everything to him, from her bad day to Oscar drinking the vodka to everything that happened that morning. He felt his anger building at Max and Tanya for thinking do little of Lauren, for making her feel so worthless so useless. He'd voiced his opinion and she had begged him not to say anything to them and he had reluctantly promised that he wouldn't. Truth be told he wasn't sure that this was a promise that he could keep but seeing her so upset, he vowed to himself that he would try.

When she had finished she erupted into a fresh round of tears and Joey held her, comforting her, telling her that everything was going to be okay. Later she had fallen asleep in his arms. He knew Tyler would be home soon and even though he knew about them, from what Lauren had said, Tyler has some serious concerns about their relationship and he thought he would be pushing things if he stayed the night.

He carefully eased her put out of his arms and he lay her down on the sofa. He took her shoes off as gently as he could. She stirred 'Joey?' she whispered in a sleep hazed voice.

'I'm here baby' he whispered softly. 'Go back to sleep'

'Mmm' her eyes drifted shut again. 'Love you Joe…'

'I love you too Lauren' he whispered as he pulled the blanket off the back of the sofa and covered her with it gently, he kissed her forehead softly and crept out of the flat as quietly as he could.

**AN: Will Joey be able to keep his promise to Lauren? **

**Will Lauren living with Tyler pose a problem for the couple? **

**All will be revealed… R&R **


	34. Chapter 34

The next morning Joey had just finished his early morning run. He'd pushed himself a little harder than normal as he'd spent most of the night mulling over everything Lauren had told him and got himself even angrier at Max and Tanya than he was when he promised he wouldn't say anything to them.

'Joey!' he heard his name being shouted across the square and he turned and he saw Tanya hurrying towards him.

'What is it Tanya I'm in a hurry' he told her

'I just.. wondered if you'd seen Lauren?' Tanya asked him 'She didn't come home last night'

'Did you expect her to?' he frowned crossing his arms over his chest 'After what Max said?'

Tanya swallowed 'Max is sorry he knows he over reacted…..we just want her to come home' she told him 'Will you tell her that?' she asked him 'Honestly what with Max's temper and Lauren's… like father like daughter hey?' she said with a laugh. Joey wasn't amused 'look I know you care about Lauren' she told him 'I just want to know that she's somewhere safe'

'She is' Joey replied and he turned to go 'Will you give her this?' Tanya asked him and she handed him a carrier bag 'It's some post she's got and her keys and her money' she told him

Joey took it 'I'll give it to her' he replied 'When I see her' he added casually. He turned and went into the house leaving Tanya standing on the street.

Joey had been working in the club since 9:00am, he'd been on the way to the flat when Tyler had stopped him telling him that Lauren was still asleep and that he needed to let her rest, Joey agreed and had gone to work. He looked at the clock, it was 12:00pm. He thought Lauren would have been up by now, he didn't want to risk ringing her in case she was asleep. He sighed and went back to work. A few minutes later he heard footsteps on the stairs, he frowned sure that he had locked the door.

'We're closed' he called out, the footsteps continued 'Are you deaf I said we're closed' he yelled out again. He turned just as Lauren entered the club. She smiled at him. He looked at her and he could see that she looked much better than she did last night. He smiled back at her

'I was just thinking about you' he said as she stepped out from behind the bar and opened his arms. He moved into them and they hugged tightly

'Good things I hope?' she murmured against his neck

'Always' he smiled 'did you sleep okay?' he asked closing his eyes and breathing in her scent, neither of them seems eager to move out of each other's arms.

'Mmhmm. I dreamt about you' she told him as she pressed soft kisses to his neck

'You did? And what did I do in this dream?'

'Stuff' she replied shyly, Joey grinned.

'Well if you tell me about "stuff" maybe I can the turn the dream in to a reality?' he said

'Actually that was my plan for later this afternoon' she admitted to him 'But first I was hoping that my very handsome, very sexy boyfriend would buy me lunch in the Vic. I'm starving' she told him and she trailed kisses along his jaw to his lips 'And then we could back to your place and we can fool around a little and I'll let you do things to me' she whispered against his lips.

'As if I could refuse to buy you lunch after that offer' he said as he drew her into a kiss. He tried to deepen the kiss and she pulled away with a giggle

'There's time enough for that later' she told him 'I'm really really hungry' she said and she held her bottom lip between her teeth

'Okay. All right' he said shaking his head at how easily she could get her own way with him, he picked up his jacket and they made their way out of the club, he paused to turn off the lights and lock the door and he followed his girlfriend to the Vic.

They ate their lunch together and no one bothered them. Joey was glad that Max and Tanya weren't there, he didn't want Lauren upset again.

'Oh I forgot to tell you' he said as they finished eating 'I saw your mum this morning' he told her 'she gave me a bag to give to you. Your keys, some post and your money' he told her 'she wants you to go home and Max is sorry'

'I thought you were on my side' Lauren looked at him a little hurt

'I am babe. I told your mum that I would pass the message on that's all.' he said and he reached across the table and he took her hand and squeezed softly. 'I think I have your money here' he let go of her hand and reached into his jacket pocket 'Oh no wait.' He tutted 'I've left it at mine' he said and he rolled his eyes as if he couldn't believe he'd been so forgetful 'Well I suppose we should go back to mine and pick it up' he said with a overdramatic sigh.

Lauren laughed and she stood up 'Come on then' she pulled on her coat 'and they call me a drama queen!' she said causing Joey to start laughing too.

'Oh someone looks like they're having a good time' Jack said as Joey pushed Lauren put of the Vic both of them laughing. Sharon smiled at them both.

'Yeah your nephew is being a drama queen' Lauren said with a grin at Joey.

'And your niece is being a cheeky brat' Joey replied. Lauren poked her tongue out at Joey and he grabbed her and started to tickle her.

'Well play nice you two' Jack said 'And don't come crying to me when you hurt end up getting hurt Joey. She's vicious' he grinned at them both. They went into the pub and Joey stopped tickling her as they reached the house. He unlocked the door and went inside. Lauren closed the door and put the latch on.

'Now about this dream…..what exactly was I was doing?' Joey asked her as he grabbed her hand, pulled her into the lounge and pushed her onto her back on the sofa, he followed her down shrugging off his coat.

'Well it kind of started like this…' Lauren giggled as he moved into her arms.

**AN: I know I know what a cruel place to stop! Joey and Lauren are about to get up to some sexploits! **

**Enjoy R&R and more later…. X **


	35. Chapter 35

Lauren moaned loudly as Joey's lips moved along her neck at the same time as his fingers slid across her stomach, under her t-shirt and cupped her bare breast.

'No bra?' he murmured appreciatively against her neck

'In …a … rush' she replied as his expertly rolled her nipple between his fingers and then pinched lightly. 'Ah!'' she sucked in a breath and arched her back slightly, causing their hips to press together harder.

Joey was shirtless after they'd both agreed that it was probably safer if their bottom halves remained clothed. They'd also moved into his bedroom, in case Alice or Kat walked in on them, Joey had insisted that they wouldn't, that they would both be out for the rest of the afternoon, but Lauren was adamant that they wouldn't be getting up to anything more than kissing if they remained on the sofa. So Joey had given in and chased Lauren up the stairs to his room, Lauren shrieking and giggling as she went, Joey laughing behind her. He'd caught her just outside his door and he had thrown her onto the bed.

So that was how they ended up as they were now. Joey laying on top of her, her legs either side of his, he was rocking against her gently, slowly, the friction of their lower halves causing them both to groan and become even more aroused.

Joey removed his hand from under Lauren's shirt and he shifted slightly attempting to push it up, Lauren realised what he was trying to do and she caught the bottom of her t-shirt with two hands and she pulled it up and over her head and she tossed it to the floor, leaving her bare breasts to Joey's fervent gaze. He glanced up her and then lowered his head and began to kiss her stomach, his tongue dipped into her navel and she wriggled, he slowly kissed every single piece of bare flesh he could see, gradually getting closer and closer to her breasts, Lauren thought she was going to combust before he even got there, she was panting and moaning and writhing beneath him. He took pity on her and his hand covered her breast again, his thumb gently stroking over her nipple causing her to whimper softly. When his mouth was close to her nipple and he raised his eyes to her and saw that she was watching him, she watched as he stuck out his tongue and licked her nipple, what felt like thousands of electric shocks coursed through her body at the first light touch.

She wondered what it feel like when his mouth was on her.

She didn't have to wait long.

Joey's hot wet mouth closed over her nipple, his tongue tormenting it for long moments before he sucked on it hard. Her hand moved to his head and she gripped his hair tightly, holding him in place as she arched her back off the bed. 'Oh!' she let out a long groan as the feelings she had just experienced were multiplied by a million.

Joey groaned against her breast, just hearing her moan like that had made his cock swell even more and it throbbed almost painfully within the confines of his jeans. He caressed her nipple with his tongue and then raised his head, his mouth closed over hers and he pushed his tongue between her lips, his tongue duelling against hers. His hand slid from her waist to cover her breast and he worried the nipple with his thumb, causing her to groan into his mouth.

He bent his head to her other breast and he lapped at her nipple with his tongue until it hardened, then he sucked it in to his mouth as he had the other. Again she groaned loudly and arched up against him. 'AH! God Joey!' she gasped.

Joey very nearly shot his load there and then, he had no idea how he didn't, some kind of miracle. He rolled her other nipple with his fingers, tugging on it and pinching it firmly while he sucked on the other. Lauren was coming apart at the seams, no one had ever made her feel like this just by kissing her and touching her breasts. She felt his hand slide away from her breast and he switched his mouth to the newly neglected one as his hand moved over her stomach and to the front of her jeans. He shifted left slightly, undid the button, then the zip and slid his hand inside. Her panties were so wet, she bucked her hips as he touched her through them, he'd barely touched her when she suddenly climaxed loudly, taking them both by surprise. Joey came himself at that point, hearing her crying out his name over and over again, he bit down on her nipple as he felt the results of his orgasm seeping through his boxer shorts. He pressed soft kisses to her nipples, occasionally licking them with his tongue as he fingers rubbed gently on her clit through her panties as he worked her through her orgasm.

She sighed and closed her eyes, her heart was beating erratically in her chest, Joey removed his hands from her jeans and slowly trailed kisses to her face and lips. They kissed lazily, slowly and then she opened her eyes to look at him, a faint blush on her face. 'That was…..' she seemed to struggle for the right words

'Orgasmic?' he asked her with a smile and she nodded with a little giggle. 'Yeah it was' he told her stealing another kiss as he moved off of her and onto his side, she rolled so she was facing him.

'I've never….no one's ever …' she stumbled over her words blushing more and she turned and buried her face in his neck, he smiled and hugged her close. 'I've never been so aroused like that before' she admitted to him.

'See told you didn't I? You haven't been with the right guys' he teased her lightly.

'No I really haven't' she agreed with him. She pulled back to look at him and suddenly realised that he had given her one of the most powerful orgasms that she had ever had mainly just by his delicious mouth sucking on her nipples and she hadn't returned the favour. 'You must be in need of a little relief yourself' she said, he caught her wrist as she moved it towards his jeans.

'Trust me babe you've already taken care of that' he told her and she frowned at him confused. He moved forward and he kissed her softly, slowly tenderly and then pulled back to look at her

'How? When? How? She asked

'When you came' he told her 'That was so erotic' he kissed her again 'Just hearing and seeing like that' he explained 'I can't wait to be inside you when you come' he murmured against her lips 'I can't wait to make love to you' he told her and he brushed her dampened hair off her face.

'Me either' she replied and she raised her lips for a kiss, and then Joey rolled onto his back and Lauren lay her head on his chest. They were both quite for a moment both of them close to falling asleep.

'Joey?' she said

'Lauren' he replied

'I was thinking ….. I know we both agreed that we would wait, not rush. But I was thinking that maybe when we go to Brighton we could …rush' she said to him. She looked up at him wondering what his answer would be.

'That's this Friday' he said 'Three days away'

'I know' she replied. 'What do you say?' she asked him

'Oh thank god' he said and he grinned, Lauren laughed and slapped his chest.

They were both quiet again, both thinking about Friday with equal amount of excitement. Joey closed his eyes.

'Joey?' she said again

'Lauren?' he smiled

'Did you really come without me touching you?' she asked him

'Yes' he sighed

'Has that …ever happened before with anyone else?'

'Nope' he replied 'No one'

She smiled.

'Good' he heard her mumble.

'It's an impressive skill you have there' he told her 'One of a kind'

She smiled wider.

He thought she had fallen asleep and he turned and pressed a kiss to her forehead and reached across her to pull the duvet over them

'Joey?'

'Good god woman!' he teased her 'Will you just go to sleep already?'

'I love you' she said softly

'Me too baby' he smiled as he felt her snuggle against him, closing his eyes he soon drifted off to sleep.

**AN: Well…. What can I say after that? Other than the sex they have is gonna be AMAZING right? (gulp I hope so) **

**Hope you all enjoy… one more chapter tonight and then you'll have to wait until tomorrow. **


	36. Chapter 36

Joey woke to the front door slamming shut and his sister bellowing up the stairs.

'JOEY!' she called out

He scrambled off the bed, pausing to pick up Lauren's shirt and put it on the bed.

He rushed to the door as he heard Alice coming up the stairs. He picked his shirt up from the floor by the door and pulled it on quickly and he opened his bedroom door 'Ssh' he said 'Lauren's asleep' he told her and he shut the door. Alice frowned at him

'Why is Lauren asleep in your bed?' she asked him

Joey looked at her 'She came to see me at the club and I brought her lunch, Tanya had given me some things for her and she got upset. I thought you were going to be home earlier than this so we went upstairs to talk' he lied 'she got upset and started to cry… I couldn't leave her could I?' he asked her.

'No I guess not. Is she okay?' she asked him

'No not really Al but she will be. She moved out of Uncles Max's and she's staying at Tyler's' he replied and then he frowned 'What time is it?'

'7:30pm' she replied 'You were going to meet me in the restaurant by the club, we were going to have dinner together before you went to work'

'Shit!' he frowned 'I forgot. I'm really sorry Al' he told her 'and now I'm going to be late for work' he said 'Sorry' he said. He went back into the bedroom and he found a pen and paper and he wrote Lauren a note and he put it on his pillow, hoping that she would find it when she woke up. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and then quickly grabbed his work clothes and went into the bathroom and got changed. Dropping his clothes into his laundry bag on the way out.

He rushed down the stairs 'Are you going leave Lauren there?' Alice asked him

'Yeah she needs the sleep Al' he told her 'I'll see you later' he said, he opened the door as Kat came in with Tommy.

'That boy amazes me' Alice said shaking her head

'Why's that?' Kat asked her

'He's never had a girl sleep over the whole time I've known him to be dating. And now he's not dating he's letting our cousin sleep in his bed' she shook her head.

'Lauren's here?' Kat asked

'Yeah apparently' Alice nodded

'Well maybe she just needed to get away. From what I hear the trouble at home isn't something that's just going to blow over.' she said with a sigh 'Right I'm going to bath this one and get him ready for bed' Kat said and she carried him up the stairs to her room. She sat him down on the bed 'Okay you stay there Tommy. Mummy's going to run the bath for you' she told him.

When she returned to the bedroom Tommy was gone, she frowned and walked to the stairs 'Alice is Tommy down there with you?' she called

'No I thought he was with you?' Alice called back

Kat frowned and she glanced at Joey's bedroom door and saw it was open. She sighed and walked over to the door and she could hear voices. She pushed the door open and saw Lauren sitting up in bed and Tommy sitting on the bed.

'I thought I told you to stay in mummy's room' Kat said as she came into the room and she scooped him off the bed 'Sorry Lauren'

'It's okay' Lauren smiled at her 'It was about time I woke up' she said with a frown and a yawn. 'I'm starving' she said

'Yeah you and me both' Kat said 'Not to mention knackered after a long day standing on the stall' she said 'All I want is some food and a glass of wine' she said

'Well how about I go get some chips and wine while you put Tommy to bed?' Lauren suggested

'Oh I didn't mean…' Kat said quickly

'I know, I'll be 20 minutes?' she said and Kat nodded

'Yeah that'll be nice' she smiled at her

'Okay then' Lauren grinned 'Bye Tommy' she waved at him

'Bye' Tommy waved back.

Kat took Tommy back to the bedroom and Lauren got up and she straightened the covers on Joey's bed. She saw the note, she picked it up.

"**Didn't have the heart to wake you. You looked so peaceful. Thank you for this afternoon. Best afternoon ever!. See you later? Be back at midnight. Love you babe. Jxxx " **she read she smiled and she folded the note up and pushed it into her pocket.

Joey could hear voices when he got back at midnight. He could hear laughter from Alice and Kat. He took off his coat and poked his head around the lounge door, he saw Kat and Alice sitting in the armchairs and Lauren was sitting on the sofa. There were 2 empty bottle of wine on the table and Alice was emptying a third into her glass.

'Oi!' Kat said 'I thought we were going to share that?' she asked Alice

'I did share it…. With me' Alice said, the three girls erupted into giggles.

'Coffees all round?' Joey asked from the doorway. Lauren looked over at him and his heart skipped a beat as he saw her face light up.

'I'll give you a hand' she said. She got up and carried her wine glass with her. She got to the sink and she poured it down,

'You didn't have to do that' Joey said softly

'I've been doing it all night' she replied 'I've had about 3 sips in total' she told him, she put the glass down on the side 'How was work?'

'Eventful' he replied filling the kettle. 'We had a group of trouble makers in tonight. Throwing their weight around, throwing punches. Had to help Dwight throw them out' he said 'but not before one of them got in a lucky punch' he said putting the kettle onto boil before turning to look at her. She noticed his left eye was a bit swollen and a bruise was coming out.

'Joey!' she exclaimed 'Sit down' she pulled out a chair.

'It's fine Lauren really' he said but he sat down nonetheless. She walked to the freezer and opened the door and pulled out some peas and then grabbed the towel from the back of the chair and wrapped the bag in it, crossing the room back to Joey she pressed them gently to his eye. He hissed in pain.

'Sorry' she said feeling a little guilty for the pain

'Not your fault' he said with a smile 'I was hoping you'd still be here' he told her

'You did? Why?'

'So I could do this' he said grabbing her hand and tugging her down onto his lap, he cupped her face with his hand that was holding the peas and drew her into a long sensual kiss that every single nerve ending in her body felt.

'Wow..' she whispered when it was over 'Then I'm glad I stayed' she said with a smile. 'Now put the ice back on your eye and I'll make the coffee' she told him ad she got off his lap.

'Yes ma'am' he smirked.

Alice and Kat went up to bed and 1:00pm. Leaving Lauren and Joey alone on the sofa.

Stay the night' Joey said in between kisses

'I can't' she replied

'Why?'

'You know why' she replied breathlessly. Joey bit down on her neck and she moaned louder than she intended. Those both froze waiting for movement from upstairs. 'I think that proves why' she said and she kissed him one more time before she pulled away from him. 'I am going back to Tyler's' she told him

'I'll walk you' he said getting up

''it's a five minute walk Joe' she said as she bent down to put on her shoes

'Yeah I know but like I said earlier we had some dodgy blokes in the club tonight they could be hanging around' he told her

'So call you when I get there safe and sound' she said

'Which you will because I will walk you there' he replied.

Lauren rolled her eyes but smiled at the same time at Joey's protectiveness over her.

'Okay then Knight in Shining armour, let's go' she said.

Joey smiled and he picked up his keys and took her hand. She picked up the bag that her mother had given Tanya and they stepped out into the cool night air.

**AN: Joey's so romantic and sweet…**

**So what's coming up for the couple? **

**Does Lauren have any interesting post? **

**Read on and find out. Enjoy and R&R. **

**Thanks to you all for the reviews. I read them all and they make me smile and pleased that you are all enjoying this. Back tomorrow… **


	37. Chapter 37

The next morning Lauren was on the tube on the way to the bank and then to College. She had the money in her bag to deposit into her account again, the bundle of post her mother had given her to go through on the train to while away her journey. She reached for the post when her phone buzzed. She saw Joey's picture flash up on the screen and she pressed answer

'Hello?' she said

'Hello gorgeous' Joey's silky voice replied 'I just wanted to call and say hello to my girlfriend'

'Well your girlfriend says hello back' she told him

'What are you up to today?' he asked her

'On the way to the bank to deposit my money and then I'm going to college' she said 'Why'

'I thought maybe we could have lunch?' he asked her

'We could but you'd have to come to college. There's a little coffee shop across the road from College. We could meet there say 1:30pm?' she asked him

'It's a date' he smiled, he looked up as a coffee was put down in front of him, he glanced up to see Lucy. 'I'll see you then'

'I can't wait' she said 'Love you'

'Me too' he said and he hung up. She frowned at the sudden change. She shrugged assuming someone was in earshot and she was about to put the phone back when her text tone beeped.

"_**Sorry, Lucy was near… Love you too gorgeous Jxxx" **_

Lauren frowned and then shook her head and dropped the phone into her bag with a smile. She started out of the window for the rest of the journey watching the scenery go by and thinking of Joey, her letters forgotten.

Joey was already waiting for her when she entered the Café, she smiled and practically bounded over to the table, placing a kiss on Joey's cheek before she sat down.

'Someone's in a good mood' he said he smiled at her

'Yes I am' she said grinning 'Daniel, the guy that was helping with the signs for the club has finished them. They're ready to be fitted in and outside the club whenever Sharon and Phil say it's okay and I've only had to pay him £100 to do it and he said he can get his brother to fit them for free as he owes him a favour, he can also get them wired up.' She said without taking a breath 'And on top of that the flyers and posters are all printed and Scott and Simon are going to leaflet cars in the multi-storey car parks around here. And Scott is going to put them through doors within a 10 mile radius of the club' she continued 'He wasn't keen on doing it first he wanted me to pay him so I told him that I would have dinner with him instead …oh and I have spoken to the Walford Gazette and they're going to run the advert whenever Sharon's ready and I got a 50% reduction on the costs' she said 'So all in all I have had a pretty productive day!'

'So it seems' he said and he looked at her expectantly

'And I'm having lunch with my boyfriend' she said 'today couldn't be any more perfect that it already is' she said

'Well I'm glad' he said 'you deserve to have a good day. Many good days' he added quickly. 'But can we just back up to the part where my girlfriend just told me that she's going out with another guy?' he asked her

Lauren opened her mouth to speak and then frowned and went through her speech again in her head and then she shut her mouth 'I wasn't planning on telling you that part, I mean I was just not like that' she said 'It's not a date, it's just dinner' she said to him

'I'm pretty sure this Scott bloke doesn't see it that way' he replied with a frown

'Doesn't matter what he thinks that's all he getting and it means that I save money so as soon as I get a job I can start looking for a place of my own' she told him 'I don't want to live with Tyler for longer than I have to'

'Why. What has he done?' Joey scowled further

'He hasn't done anything. Having me there is having an impact on his alone time with Whitney' I replied 'that's all' she told him 'Joey …you don't have to be jealous' she told him firmly 'There's nothing to be jealous of. Ty is just a mate and besides he's crazy in love with Whitney' she told him, her face suddenly filled with excitement 'Oh and I forgot to tell you. Ant is coming down next weekend. I was speaking to him on the phone earlier and he can't wait to meet you' she said with a grin

'Ant?' Joey asked her in confusion

'Tyler's brother … I've told you this' she rolled her eyes and she sighed 'you two are going to get along great I know it' she said

'Wait! Is this the Ant that was after Alice'?' he asked her

Lauren sighed 'This big brother over protective thing that you've got going on is just wrong Joey' she told him 'She's an attractive young girl. And guys are going to find her attractive and the more you protect her the more naïve she is going to be and the more likely it is that she's going to get. You have to let her make her own mistakes or she'll end up hating you'

Joey narrowed her eyes at her 'Have you been talking to Alice?' he asked her

'Yes last night before you came home remember? There was a point in the night when she was sober' she reminded him 'Joey you've got to let her live her own life, let her make her own mistakes and be there for her when she needs you' she told him softly.

'I know you're right' he said with a sigh 'She's just…. She's my little sister'

'I know' she smiled at him reaching across the table and placing her hand on his. 'And she's always going to need you Joey. And at some point she's going to have a boyfriend and she's going to have sex and you need to be cool about it' she told him, she knew from the look on his face that he didn't like that idea at all 'Okay I'll stop putting those images in your head now. Shall we order?' she asked him

'Yes' he nodded and he picked up the menu 'whats good?'

'Toasted bacon and cheese sandwich' she replied.

Later they were on the train back to Walford, Lauren decided now would be a good time to broach the subject of Derek's funeral. She licked her lips and slipped her hand into his. 'Joey, Alice did mention something to me last night that I wanted to talk to you about'

'Oh?' he looked at her his curiosity piqued.

'The funeral' she said

'There's nothing to talk about.' he replied

'She needs you there'

'I'm not going. End of' he said and he pulled his hand out of hers and turned to stare out of the window.

Lauren knew that this conversation wasn't going to be as easy as she first thought. They remained quiet for the rest of the train ride home, walked through the station in silence and then he glanced at her over his shoulder

'I'll see you later' he told her and he walked away.

**AN: Will Joey be able to convince Joey to go to the funeral for the sake of Alice?**

**Answers will be revealed in the following chapters. **

**R&R as always. Thanks you for reading and I hope you are enjoying the story**


	38. Chapter 38

Lauren walked into the club later that night carrying one of her rucksacks, she walked over to the bar and took a seat. She watched as Joey worked his way along the bar, it was a busy night and she knew he would be a while. She picked up a beer mat and fiddled with it, and then began to pull it apart a layer at a time.

'We have to pay for those' Joey said.

She looked up at him and she put the bar mat down.

'Sorry' she said with a frown as she saw the mess she had made.

'It's alright they're only 1p a mat' he told her and he scooped it up and put it in the bin and replaced it with a fresh one. 'Do you want a drink?' he asked her, she shook her head. 'Okay well then clearly you've come to the wrong place, this is a bar and we serve drinks' he teased her

'Okay surprise me' she said without a smile

'Okay…' he frowned at her. He made her a cocktail and then poured it into a glass and he put in a red umbrella and he slid it towards her, she picked it up and took a tentative sip. 'Nice?'

'I guess' she shrugged 'How much?'

'It's on the house' he replied with a grin 'Perks of having a boyfriend who works behind the bar.'

'Thanks' she said. Joey frowned

'What's wrong?'

'Tyler's kicked me out of the flat for tonight. Romantic night in with Whitney' she explained

'Oh. So you didn't come here because you wanted to see me?' he asked her as he leant on the bar 'Do you want to stay at mine?' he asked her,

'Well it's not like I can go home is it?' she replied

'I'll take that as a yes' he glanced down the bar, 'I'll be back in a second'

Lauren watched him working, the way he charmed and flirted with the girls and laughed and joked with the lads. When he returned to her she had finished her cocktail. 'Do you want another?' he asked her

'Depends' she said

'On what?'

'If I have to pay for it. I forgot my purse'

Joey rolled his eyes 'You're lucky I fancy you' he said as he made her another and passed it to her.

'Won't you get into trouble with Sharon?' she asked him

'Nope' he grinned at her

'Are you on your own tonight?' she glanced at the bar

'Not anymore' he said 'You can keep me company'

'I meant you usually have someone helping you'

'Called in sick and Sharon and Jack's phones are off' Joey explained 'Why are you offering to help me?' he asked her half seriously.

'If you like' she said with a shrug.

'Come on then' he said and he nodded for her to come behind the bar.

The club closed and the last of the clubbers left and the bouncer gave Joey the all clear.

'Okay mate. Lock us in and I'll see you tomorrow' he said with a wave.

Lauren was clearing glasses from the tables and she picked up the crate Joey had given her and carried it back to the washer and she started to load the dirty glasses in as Joey had showed her.

'Leave them I can do it in the morning' he told her

'I've started it now' she said glancing at him. 'And there's not many left to clear'

Joey watched her as she went to fetch some more glasses. He poured her a large glass of wine and popped the lid of a beer for himself and he took them to one of the clean tables and sat down.

Lauren carried the crate back to the washer and put it down. 'Come and sit down' Joey said. She looked up at him and smiled and walked over to him, she slid onto the cushioned chair with a sigh 'Did you enjoy that?'

'Yeah it was kinda fun' she told him with a nod 'I thought I'd feel tired but I'm not'

'You're a natural. Good with the punters, a lot nicer to work with and look at than some of the other bar staff we've had working here'

She picked up her wine and took a long drink and then put the glass down on the table.

'There's something else bothering you' Joey said looking at her 'What is it?' when she didn't answer he put his beer down 'Lauren?'

She sighed 'I didn't mean to upset you earlier today' she said

'You didn't. I just…. It's not easy for me to talk about Derek' he told her

'Not even to me?' she asked him quietly.

'The washer's finished' he said and he got up and went behind the bar and emptied the clean glasses out and refilled it with the dirty ones and started it going again. 'We can go after this has finished' he said as he started to put the clean glasses away. Lauren nodded and she sat quietly.

Fifteen minutes later they arrived back at the house. It was dark and quiet, everyone had gone to bed. I followed Joey up to his room and he closed the door quietly and locked it. Lauren put her bag down on the bed and she pulled out her t-shirt and shorts. Joey sat down on the bed with his back to her. She quickly got changed.

'Wouldn't it be better if I slept on the sofa?' she asked him in a whisper

'Everyone will be gone when we get up' he said 'They won't disturb me'

'Do you need the bathroom?' he asked her

'Nope' she shook her head, she looked at the bed and she climbed in and rolled onto her side facing way from Joey. She heard him undress, turn off the lamp and felt the bed dip as he got in beside her. He lay on his back staring at the ceiling.

In the darkness Lauren could hear him breathing, she knew he wasn't asleep.

'Look, my memories of Derek are very different to Alice's' he said quietly 'He was a vicious bully Lauren. You know that yourself.' he told her, she didn't reply, Joey liked his lips and he signed and he sat up and clicked on the lamp. Lauren remained still. 'He broke my mother's collarbone' he said 'He broke her wrist, her nose, her jaw…..' he told her 'and I saw it all, the bruises, the casts, the blood' he continued. 'Saw him come home after spending hours in the pub drinking with his mates and beat the crap out of her for no reason at all' he told me 'He split my lip open once' he said 'There was blood everywhere…. That was the one time he ever looked guilty'

'How old were you?' Lauren asked him softly

He turned to look at her noticing she had rolled to face him 'Six' he replied 'He stayed way for 2 days, when he came back he'd brought me a bike' Joey said 'Said he was sorry' he frowned and stared into the distance 'He taught me to ride without stabilisers on it' he added almost as an afterthought. 'He was shouting and cheering, trying to get all the neighbours to come and look at me.' Joey frowned 'I remember once that I got my finger trapped in a door, hard enough to split the skin and make it bleed, mum said that I didn't even cry, I didn't make a sound, but Derek…Derek was in bits….' Lauren liked her lips listening to him talk. 'He wasn't around much, I had to grown-up be the man in the house' he told her 'Take care of mum, of Alice. I never understood why mum never pressed charges, I mean he was in trouble with the Police all the time, one phone call from her would have meant him going back to Prison'

'She loved him' Lauren said her voice only barely above a whisper. Joey's eyes shot to hers in surprise.

Joey shook his head 'She was scared of him'

'She loved him, despite of everything that he had done to her, to you, she loved him' Lauren said 'You can't help who you love Joey, no matter how much you try not to feel something' she told him 'You can try and hide how you feel, you lie to everyone, to yourself, pretend that you don't feel what you feel but in the end you can't hide from it. It's always there …under the surface.' She sighed and she looked at Joey 'Derek was your dad' she told him 'It doesn't matter what he's done in the past, what he did to people you love…..because he's gone…. He can't hurt anyone anymore' she licked her lips 'I'm not saying that you need to forgive him, you may never be able to forgive him. But you can't keep hating him …there's nothing to hate…..just a memory' she said and she slowly sat up and she reached out and he she ran her fingers over his cheek 'And that means that in the end he's winning' she said 'He's gone Joey… and on Friday he's going to be cremated and all that will be left of him will be ash' she took a breath 'He's never going to be able to tell you that he was sorry, to be proud of you, to see you get married, to see you have children of your own, to play with his grandchildren. He's gone Joey'

'I know' Joey said and he looked down

'Don't spend any more time hating him, that's not going to help anyone' she said 'He may not have been the best father to you, you may not have many good memories of him, but he loved you, anyone could see that, the way his face lit up when you'd walk into a room, only for a moment and then the mask would slips back into place' she told him 'And he loved Alice…you can't deny that. You saw how he was with her' Joey raised his eyes to look at her again 'And Alice loved him, the Derek she knew, and she needs you at the funeral Joey because she can't do this on her own. And you need to say goodbye too, if you don't you'll regret it for the rest of your life' Joey swallowed and Lauren moved forward and she kissed him tenderly 'and I'll be there with you every step of the way, I promise'

Joey closed his eyes and he pulled her into his arms and he held her tightly. After a while he left he go and she lay down, Joey lay down with her, his head on her chest, she ran her fingers through his hair as she felt his tears seep through her t-shirt.

**AN: Aw,,Upset Joey. **

**Well does this mean that he's going to the funeral. Read on and find out… back later….**

**R&R and thank you all for the reviews I am happy that you like it. **


	39. Chapter 39

Lauren woke up alone in the bed in the morning. She stretched and sighed and she glanced at the clock. It was 9:30. She got up, took her rucksack into the bathroom and took a quick shower, she dried and dressed and then went downstairs.

'You know I'm not used to girls sneaking out of my bed' Joey said from the lounge. Lauren smiled and turned leaning against the doorway.

I thought you'd left _me_' she replied with a smile

'I woke up early, I didn't want to wake you … well I did…but I didn't that would be a good idea' he told her 'So I came down here to think'

'And?' Lauren asked him

'I told Alice this morning that I'm going to the funeral' he told her

'I'm glad' Lauren smiled at him 'It's the right thing to do'

He nodded 'Yeah I know' he said 'You know for someone so young…you give pretty good advice'

'College agony aunt' she pointed to herself

'I'll but you breakfast' he told her

'It's the least that you can do' she replied with a smile 'You finally get me to spend the night with you in your bed and all you wanted to do is snuggle' she teased him 'And there was me expecting a rampant night of hot sex' she said as Joey pulled his coat on. 'I'm a little disappointed truth be told. Sex god my eye' she muttered walking to the door, she squealed as he spun her round and pressed her up against the wall

'You wait until this weekend baby…' he told her as he moved forward to kiss her 'When I'm done with you, you won't be able to walk for a week' he promised her

'Promises, promises' she murmured against his lips.

'You'll see' he told her and he stole another kiss and then led her to the café.

Lucy smiled as they both came in 'Hi. What can I get you?' she asked them

'Coffee and toast please' Lauren said

'Same please' Joey told her

'Go sit I'll bring it over' she told them

They found a table and sat down 'What are you up to today?' he asked her

'I need to talk to Sharon and Phil about the club' she said ''And I need to get some more clothes from the house'

'Do you want me to come with you?' he asked her

'No, mum and dad will both be at work' she replied 'Besides you and Alice need to spend the day together' she said to him 'You need to clean out Derek's things'

'Yeah Alice mentioned that I think she's been putting it off'

'Because she can't do it alone' Lauren replied softly.

'I know' Joey nodded 'But I don't want to just abandon you' he said softly

'You're not' she said with a smile 'You've already promised me a mind blowing weekend….. unless you were exaggerating?'

'It will be' he told her 'Satisfaction guaranteed.'

'So does that mean I won't need to pack Bob?'' she asked him grinning

'Bob and I are going to have to have a little talk' Joey told her straightfaced.

Lucy brought their breakfast over and she looked at them both 'Listen I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go to the Vic tonight?' she asked them both 'My treat'

'I can't Lucy' Joey told her 'Alice and I have things to do'

'Lauren?' Lucy looked at her. 'We haven't been out for a drink for a while, just the two of us' she said her

'Yeah you're right' Lauren said and she nodded 'Okay, see you in there at 7pm?'

'Great' she grinned and she walked back to the counter.

Joey sipped his coffee 'You going to be okay with Lucy?'

'Yeah I can handle Lucy… it's not like I'm going to tell her about us' she said picking up her toast, she raised it to her lips 'Besides you could suck in bed and then she can have you back' she laughed as she bit into her toast. Joey lowered his cup and he looked at her with a scowl.

'You are being mean today' he shook his head with a smile

'That's just what I do' she said with a giggle.

Lucy looked over at them both and saw them laughing together, she frowned slightly and then shook her head and carried on working.

Joey and Lauren parted ways at the corner and she went back to Tyler's. She dropped her rucksack on the sofa and she picked up her phone and she called Sharon. She arranged to meet her and Phil in the Vic at lunchtime.

Lauren walked into the Vic at 7:00pm and Lucy was waiting for her 'You're on time for once' Lucy said

'It happens on occasion'' Lauren replied

'I got you a vodka and coke' Lucy said to her

'Thank you' Lauren smiled and picked it up and they sat down at the bar

'So how are things with your parents?'

'I haven't spoken to them' Lauren admitted 'I'm still kind of too upset to' she said

'What happened?'

'I don't really want to talk about it Luce' Lauren said 'Can we talk about something else?'

'Yeah of course' Lucy nodded 'Joey looked in good spirits this morning, despite it being Derek's funeral tomorrow'

'It'll probably hit him tomorrow' Lauren said as she took a drink

'What he's going? To the funeral?' Lucy asked surprised

'Yeah he is'

'Oh… well I thought he hated Derek. Will his girlfriend be there?' Lucy looked at Lauren expectantly

'You know what Lucy, I should have known better. I thought this …tonight was supposed to be about you and me catching up, instead I realise that it's just you pumping me for information on Joey' Lauren slid off the stool with her drink 'And I'm not going to listen to moon over him anymore' she told her and she walked away. She saw Sharon and Jack and she joined them.

'So how is my favourite niece tonight?' Jack asked her as she sat down

'Tired actually' Lauren replied 'Joey roped me into helping him at the club last night'

'Behind the bar?' Sharon asked her in surprise

'A little and collecting and washing glasses'

'What happened to Carl?'

'He called in sick apparently…. Joey did try to call you and Jack but your phones were off.' Lauren said 'I didn't mean to get Joey into trouble' she looked at Sharon

'You didn't' she said shaking her head 'I just didn't know you were interested in bar work'

'I'm interested in any kind of work. I can't stay at Tyler's indefinitely' she told them 'and I don't want to go back to mum and dad's' so I need to find a place of my own'

'You should take to Max and Tanya Lauren, they're pretty upset' Jack said

'Yeah well so am I' she said 'And they're not exactly running around the square looking for me are they?' she asked him, Jack couldn't deny that this wasn't true

'Look if you ever need anything all you have to do is ask okay?' he asked her and she smiled and nodded

'Thanks' she smiled at him

'Where's Joey tonight anyway. You two have been joined at the hip lately'

'He's at home helping Alice clear out Derek's things' Lauren told him

'He is?' Jack sounded surprised

'Yep and he will be at the funeral tomorrow too' she took a sip of drink

'How did you manage that?' Jack asked her in amazement

'He talked, I listened, I talked, he listened' Lauren replied softly

Sharon smiled at her and gave her a wink.

'Well who have known that little Lauren Branning would be the one to convince Joey to come to the funeral hey?' Jack teased her with a grin.

'She's more than just a pretty face and very talented artist Jack' Sharon said with a smile

'She ain't pretty' Jack told Sharon 'She's gorgeous'

'See that's why you are my favourite Uncle' Lauren said as she finished her drink.

'Do want another?' Jack asked

'Please but just a coke though'

Jack went to the bar and Sharon shifted in her seat to sit closer to Lauren

'What was that with you and Lucy at the bar?' she asked her

'She has a thing for Joey. Keep asking me to get him to change his mind about her, he's told her that he's got a girlfriend and now she's trying to get information out of me.' Lauren explained. 'She invited me out tonight so we could catch up and all she's talked about is Joey, she drives me mad'

'You and Joey can't keep this secret forever you know' she told her

'We know, we're going to tell people, just not yet' she looked at Sharon 'It's not the right time'

'Will it ever be?' Sharon lowered her voice as Jack made his way back to the table 'the longer the leave it the harder it's going to be and the more shocked people's reactions will be'

Lauren stayed at the Vic until she finished her drink and then she kissed jack on the cheek, said goodnight to Sharon and walked back to Tyler's. She closed the door behind her with a sigh, closed her eyes as she leant up against it.

'Are you okay?' she heard Joey ask her and her eyes snapped open in surprise

'Joey?!' she exclaimed 'What are you doing here, I thought you were spending tonight with Alice'

'Yeah I am, I just needed to see you' he told her 'Tyler let me in about 10 minutes ago, he's over at Bianca's with Whitney a family dinner or something' Lauren crossed the room and moved into his arms 'I can't stay long' he whispered into her ear.

'Its okay' she replied 'I'm just glad you're here. We're going to have to be careful tomorrow with the whole family being around'

'I know' he nodded in agreement 'It's going to be hard' he let he go and then sat down on the sofa

'How have you got on with Derek's things' she asked him

'The clothes are all boxed up and ready to go' Joey said softly 'Alice did that. I've been going through his personal papers… and I found this' he said, he picked up an A4 size envelope off the table and he held it out to her

'What is it?' she asked frowning

'It's about you' Joey told her 'What happened in America'

Lauren's face paled and she stared at the envelope, her throat felt dry 'Did you read it?' she asked when she had found her voice

'Yes' his reply was quiet, his voice strained.

**AN: And that's all for tonight folks…. **

**So what is in the envelope? **

**Will the funeral go without a hitch?**

**Will they make it to Brighton? Or will something happen that stops them both in their tracks….**

**R&R. back tomorrow**


	40. Chapter 40

'_It's about you' Joey told her 'What happened in America'_

_Lauren's face paled and she stared at the envelope, her throat felt dry 'Did you read it?' she asked when she had found her voice _

'_Yes' his reply was quiet, his voice strained. _

Lauren swallowed and she took the envelope from him with shaky hands 'Did Alice…?'

'No, just me' he watched her intently as she opened the envelope, reaching inside and pulling the papers out slowly. She glanced at the top sheet and stood up and went into the kitchen, she looked quickly through the papers and then put them back in the envelope.

'Was this…is this the only copy?'

'Yes, I've been through everything at the house' Joey told her, he followed her into the kitchen 'This is what he was going to use to blackmail you with?' he asked her 'That he threatened to tell your parents?' she nodded 'Why didn't tell me Lauren?'

'It's not exactly something that I'm proud of, pregnant at 16 with no clue of who the father is'' she said to him 'I told you that there were things in my past that you probably wouldn't like'

'Lauren …. This doesn't change anything' he told her

She frowned and turned to look at him, surprise on her face

'How can it not?' she questioned him

'Because it happened in the past, before I knew you' he told her 'Look I'm not saying that I'm not shocked by what I've read, I am, but I don't know the full story' he told me 'Only that you told me your parents sent you to America because of your behaviour here'

'You mean me being a drunken slut?' she asked him

'I don't believe that' he said

'Really. You've read this' she waved the envelope at him 'How can you not believe that?' she frowned at him 'It's all here in black and white Joey' she told him

'Nowhere on those papers does it say drunken slut' Joey replied softly 'What is does say is that a 15 year old girl was taken advantage of when she was drunk'

'Alice is probably wondering where you've got to. You don't want to keep her waiting' she told him

'I'm not just going to leave you' Joey replied 'Talk to me' he coaxed her

'What's to talk about?' she moved out of the kitchen, leaving the envelope by the sink

'You' he replied 'Hey….' He caught her hand as she moved passed him 'You can talk to me Lauren' he told her 'I'm not judging you' Lauren looked at him 'Not everything is black and white. You made me realise that when we talked about Derek' he said

'Yeah well what happened wasn't you fault was it?' she said 'you were an innocent child caught in an the middle of a toxic marriage'

'And you were acting out to get some attention, any attention from your parents' he said 'I've seen how they treat you, how they ignore you… it's no wonder you went off the rails. They shouldn't have sent you off to live in America. They're to blame here not you' he told her 'I've got a good mind to go over there and tell them exactly what happened to you when they turned their back on you'

'They would only blame me' she told him truthfully, her eyes filled with tears, he slowly drew her into his arms and held her tightly. 'I was the one who was drunk Joey'

'Yeah okay you were drunk, that's no excuse for someone to think that it's okay to have sex with you, to pass you around like a party favour to their mates' he frowned at her 'That was not your fault Lauren. You didn't know what was happening, hey, look at me' he cupped her chin with his fingers 'This was not your fault'

'If I didn't drink it wouldn't have happened because I wouldn't have been at the stupid party. I don't remember anything about that night.' She told him with a frown and she pulled back to look at him 'I just remember waking up in the morning, with the worst hang over that I've ever had in my life. I remember being naked and in a room with 4 naked guys….' She trailed off and Joey pulled her to the sofa and they sat down 'I found out I was pregnant a couple of months later, and when I asked someone I went to the party with she told me that I went into a bedroom with a couple of guys and 10 or 12 came in and out throughout the night. So it could have been anyone of 14 guys that I'd had sex with that night' she told him 'I was 16 years old, in a foreign country with no family or friends that I could turn to… the host family I lived with wasn't the bet family mum and dad could have chosen. They were more concerned about getting the sponsorship money. When they found out I was pregnant I threatened that if they told my parents that I'd tell the school and they'd lose the hosting gig and the money they made from it' she told him 'So they said nothing' she told him 'Marcy… she was actually really nice about things.. considering the cow I was to her…. I miscarried at 11 weeks….and Marcy was …. She was amazing…..' Lauren told him 'we lied to the hospital… they didn't really check into things as well as they should have….' She sighed and looked down at her hands 'I wanted …I wanted to keep the baby. And I know that sounds really crazy…. But I wanted it' Lauren told him and he sighed 'Marcy and I got pretty close and in the end I was sorry that I had to come back…. We still write to each other every so often, that's pretty weird right considering?' she asked him

'No I don't think so' Joey said

'I still don't know how Derek found out' Lauren frowned 'Marcy said it wasn't her'

'Derek had connections all over the place' Joey said

'Yeah I guess he did' she said and she looked at him 'So, I guess you know all my deep dark secrets now'

'I don't believe that for a second' he teased her gently 'and I meant what I said Lauren, it doesn't change anything between us' he told her firmly 'I still want to go away with you tomorrow' he said 'I still love you'

Lauren blinked at him 'You do?'

'Of course I do' he frowned at her 'did you think I wouldn't?'

'I don't know, maybe' she shrugged 'Derek obviously thought it would change things between us'

'Yeah well Derek didn't know me did he?'

'No I guess he didn't'

Joey moved forward and he kissed her softly. 'Come on lets go'

'Where are we going?'

'Back to mine' he told her 'I don't want to leave Alice alone any longer than I have and I am not leaving you here alone either'

Lauren smiled at him 'You are a pretty amazing guy…most guys would have run for the hills after hearing what you just did'

'I'm not most guys' he replied with a smile.

**AN: Okay so I am really sorry if this chapter sucks… I have re written it at least 4 times and I can't get it right…please don't lost faith in me or the story. **

**Next chapters the funeral and then…. Well wait and see**

**R&R even if it sucks! **

**thanks**


	41. Chapter 41

The next morning Lauren woke at 6:00am, she took a quick shower and wrapped a towel around herself and went into the kitchen. As she made a coffee she noticed the envelope that Joey had brought over last night was on the counter. Her heart started to race in her chest as she realised that Tyler could have seen it. She berated herself for being so stupid and careless leaving it lying around she snatched it off the counter and trying to think what to do with it, she spotted her bag she had packed for the weekend and she stuffed it inside.

She knew that she couldn't exactly barge into Tyler's room and demand if it he had read it, especially not If Whitney was with him, she would have to wait until she could find some time alone and talk to Tyler. She had no clue when that would be today was Derek's funeral and both Joey and Alice needed her. She would have to try to put it out of her mind and worry about it later, with a resigned sigh she walked to the window and pulled the curtains open and looked out on the square. No one was around, everything was quiet. The market wouldn't be setting up today until after the funeral procession. She stared outside as she finished her coffee. She thought about how caring Joey had been last night, not judging her not jumping to conclusions. Telling her that he still loved her and wanted to be with her and that the only thing that was going to help him get through today was the fact that they were going away to Brighton to be alone together. Anticipation unfurled in her stomach and she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she thought about going away with Joey.

Half an hour later she pulled on her black clothes, a black pair of leggings and a black jumper and then applied a light layer of makeup and dried her hair. She picked up her overnight bag and her handbag and she left the flat. She stopped at the minute mart and brought three 4 pint bottles of milk and carried them over to Joey's. She rang the bell and waited. A few moments later she heard footsteps coming towards the door, it swung open to reveal Kat.

'Hello Lauren' she gave her a half smile

'Hi I know I'm early….' She shrugged 'I couldn't really sleep'

'Neither could anyone else' she said and she held the door open, Lauren went in and followed Kat to the kitchen 'I got the milk' she put the bags down by the fridge

'Oh I'd forgotten about that' Kat looked at the milk with a frown 'I was just making some sandwiches whilst Tommy was still in bed, while I can'

'How are they?' Lauren asked 'Joey and Alice?'

''Alice has been in the bathroom for the past 20 minutes and Joey's wearing a hole in the carpet in the lounge' Kat told her 'I was thinking about making some tea. Do you want one?'

'Yeah please' Lauren nodded and she chewed on her bottom lip 'I'm just going to go see Joey'

'I'd be careful he's like a bear with a sore head this morning. I asked him if he wanted breakfast and he bit my head off' Kat told her

Lauren walked out of the kitchen towards the lounge, she paused and took a calming breath and opened the door

'I said I didn't want anything Kat' Joey snapped

'It's me' Lauren said closing the door behind her, Joey spun round to look at her and practically leapt across the room to get to her

'I'm glad you're here' he said as he wrapped his arms around her. 'I wish you could have stayed last night… I was worried about you.'

'I wish I could have stayed too, you know I wanted to' Lauren told him pressing a soft kiss to his neck 'And you don't have to worry about me, you convinced me that we're okay and besides today isn't me it's about you and Alice and I am here for you both, whatever you need from me it's yours' she kissed his neck again, Joey turned his head and she stroked his jaw and he drew him into a tender kiss, he pressed his forehead against her

'Promise you won't leave?'

'I promise' she nodded. 'Have you eaten breakfast?'

'I'm not hungry'

'I didn't ask you if you were hungry, I asked if you had eaten breakfast, which I will take your reply as a no' she said 'I'll go make you some toast' Joey nodded and she reached up and kissed him again 'I love you' she told him and she hugged him tightly.

The door to the lounge opened and Alice came in, 'Lauren!' she exclaimed 'You're here' she said, Joey reluctantly let me go and I turned and hugged Alice 'I was so mad at Joey last night for letting you go home' she told me 'But he promised me that you would be here today'

'Joey wouldn't dare break a promise to you' she replied 'and neither would I' she told her.

Alice smiled and the girls let each other go. I'm going to go make you some breakfast' she told them catching Joey's gaze 'which you are both going to eat' she told them as she headed towards the kitchen, she glanced back into the room and saw the siblings embracing. She felt like she was intruding and she turned away and went to fix them some breakfast.

'Alice and Joey are having some toast, do you want any?' she asked Kat

'No I'm good thanks' she replied with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes 'I'm going to go check on Tommy'

'Take some time for yourself Kat. I'll finish up here' Lauren told her 'Take Tommy out for breakfast get away from this place for a while'

'Are you sure?' she looked surprised

'Yeah. Joey and Alice need a little time by themselves and I can make sandwiches without screwing it up … possibly' she added with a grin

Kat smiled at her 'Thanks' she said 'Oh your tea is there' she pointed to the table

'You're a life safer' Lauren picked up the tea and took a drink.

Twenty minutes later Lauren took a tray through to the lounge 'Breakfast' she announced

'Aren't you having any?' Alice asked

'I've already had mine at Tyler's' Lauren lied 'Anyway, Kats gone out with Tommy for a while so I am going to go back into the kitchen and finish getting ready for later while you two eat every single crumb' she told them pointedly.

'Yes Lauren thank you' Alice said with a smile.

At 9:30am Lauren had finished making sandwiches, she had covered the plates with kitchen foil and was waiting for the kettle to boil and made some more tea and carried it through to the lounge, putting the cups down on the table by the wall. Joey turned from the window to look at her 'Are you okay? Do you need any help?' he asked her

'It's all done and I'm fine' she told him with a smile 'You ate all your breakfast then?' she asked, he nodded. She picked up the tray 'I'll just put this in the kitchen. People will be arriving soon. The cars will be here at 10:30am' she reminded them both gently.

Back in the kitchen she cleaned up the breakfast plates and managed to grab a sip of tea before the doorbell rang. She hurried down the hall way and opened the door, Jack and Sharon had arrived, Lauren took the plate of food that they brought and ushered them into the lounge.

Over the next 45 minutes she met and greeted people and took plates they had brought into the kitchen. Her parents and Abi and Oscar were the last to arrive. Max moved forward to hug her and she took a step back,

'Lolly!' Oscar exclaimed 'Lolly' Lauren bent down and Oscar rushed at her and she hugged him tightly while her parents watched on

'Hello Butt monkey' she smiled 'I've missed you'

'Miss you too. When you coming home?' he asked her

'We'll talk about it later' she said and she pulled him to look at her 'Is that a picture for me?'

'No it's for Joey' she said

'Oh he'll like that' she said looking at it 'Shall we go take it to him?'

'Yeah' Oscar nodded and grinned. Lauren stood up and she glanced at her mother and Abi and then took Oscar's hand and led him into the lunge. Joey was sitting on the sofa. Lauren led Oscar over to him and sat down next to him

'Butt monkey has something for you' she said softly.

Joey looked at her and then at Oscar

'Yeah, what have you got?' Joey asked him

'I drawed you a picture' Oscar said and he held it out to Joey.

Joey took it and he smiled 'Wow this is really mate.' Joey told him. Oscar beamed at him

'It's you, me and Lolly at the park' he pointed to the figures 'And that's Scooby my dog and that's Alice' he pointed at another oddly shaped figure covered on flowers.

'Thank you' Joey said 'You know where this needs to go?'

'Where?' Oscar looked up at him

'On the fridge' Joey said 'Do you and Lauren want to help me put it up?'

Oscar squealed and clapped his hands 'Yes, me and Lolly help' Joey smiled and he stood up and followed us into the kitchen. Joey stuck the picture to the fridge with magnets.

'There I'll see it every day' Joey told Oscar and he crouched down and gave him a cuddle 'Thank you'

'You're welcome' Oscar said to him. 'Lolly hug' Oscar held out one of his arms

Joey picked him up so he was level with me and Oscar wrapped his outstretched arm around me pulling me closer to Joey, she felt Joey slip his arm around her to and she looked at him and smiled. 'Okay Butt Monkey. Go find mum and dad okay?' she asked him and she took him from Joey 'I love you and I'll see you soon okay?' she told him

'Love you too Lolly' Oscar replied and he pressed a noisy kiss to her check. She grinned at him and lowered him to the ground he slipped hi hand into Joey's

'Joey come too' he demanded. Joey and Lauren exchanged glances as Oscar tugged on Joey's hand.

Lauren was left alone in the kitchen. She bent down and picked up her hand bag from the floor by the fridge where he had dropped it when she first arrive. She was looking for a mirror and she realised here was still some post she hadn't opened. She walked to the sink and looked through the letters, one of them was from the GP. She frowned and ripped it open and read the first few lines.

'Lauren?' Joey said from the door way, she jumped and she turned to look at him 'The cars are here' he told and he frowned when he saw how pale she was 'Are you okay?' he asked her, she nodded and quickly folded the letter up and stuffed it into the drawer under the sink.

'Yeah I'm fine. I was miles away you, you startled me is all' she replied and she took a breath 'Are you ready?' she asked him,

'Not really' he admitted to her 'Alice started crying as soon as the cars arrived' he told her 'Uncle Jacks is comforting her'

'And I am here to comfort you' she took his hand and squeezed gently 'We'd better make a move yeah?' she asked him with a smile and she pulled him out of the kitchen, he glanced behind him, looking at the drawer and wondered what it was she had hidden inside.

**AN: So did Tyler read what was in the envelope? Did Whitney? **

**What's Lauren hidden in the kitchen drawer at Joey's house? **

**Will the funeral go without a hitch? **

**And will Lauren and Joey actually make it to Brighton or will someone or something get in the way?**

**Keep reading to find out…. Enjoy and R&R **

**Back later…maybe (this is a BIG chapter) **


	42. Chapter 42

Lauren was the last one out of the house and she locked the door and hung back behind everyone else. She frowned as the hearse drew up and a quite filled the square. She looked away and dropped the keys into her bag,

Alice gave a loud sob and leant against Joey. 'It's okay Al' he whispered softly and he kissed the top of her head. 'I'm here' he told her.

After a few minutes everyone started moving towards the cars, Lauren lingered behind as Alice and Joey walked towards the first car.

'You can ride with us' Max said from beside her, she hadn't realised she was next to her parents.

'Yes that will be nice Lauren, we can arrive as a family' Tanya said expectantly, Lauren swallowed unsure what to say,

'I'd rather walk' Lauren replied

'Lauren!' Alice turned just as she was about to get into the car 'Lauren!' she called again

'I'm riding with Alice and Joey' Lauren replied and she moved passed Tanya and got into the car beside Joey. She closed the door and she lowered her eyes and then turned to look at Alice and Joey.

'Thank you' Lauren said softly and Alice smiled at her through her tears.

'You said you would ride with me…. Us' she said 'We need you' Alice told her 'Don't we Joey?'

'Yeah, yeah we do' Joey replied and he took Lauren's hand and linked his fingers through hers, she squeezed gently.

Moments later the cars began to move and Lauren watched the square pass by through the window. She saw Ian, Lucy and Alfie standing on the corner near the Vic, she gave them a smile and then looked away. She let go of Joey's hand and reached into her handbag and pulled out her phone, she scrolled through her missed calls and saw that she had 6 from the GP surgery, next she activated her voicemails and she listened to them until she found one she was hoping she wouldn't hear.

"This is Dr McDermott, Lauren I need you to make an appointment as soon as possible. Please call the surgery on 0181 555 1171'

She hung up the phone and with slightly shaking hands dropped the phone into her bag. She leant forward in her seat, suddenly feeling nauseous

'Excuse me…. ' for a brief moment she considered asking the driver to stop the car so she could get out, 'Could you open the windows please?' she asked the driver. 'It's a little hot in here'

'Yes Ma'am' the driver replied politely, seconds later the windows were lowered with a whirring sound.

'Thank you' she replied, folding her hands on her lap she tried to focus on why she was here today. Joey and Alice needed her, and tonight she and Joey were getting out of Walford for a few days to spend some time being a normal couple, out in the open, she had been looking forward to it since he suggested it. She decided she would call the GP when she found a spare moment and decided that she wouldn't worry about it anymore and that she definitely wouldn't worry Joey about it either.

Joey cast a worried glance at her, and as if she felt his gaze on her she turned to look at him 'I'm just a little warm' she told him with a reassuring smile.

Joey wasn't convinced but now wasn't the time or place to push her to talk to him. He glanced at Alice, and for now, her tears had stopped, she took his hand and leant her head on his shoulder.

After what felt like hours to Lauren, the cars pulled up outside of the crematorium. She climbed out if the car first, followed by Joey and Alice. Derek's coffin was unloaded from the hearse and carried into the chapel. Joey and Alice moved forward first followed by Lauren and Poppy, they went inside the chapel, just as the two girls were about to break off to go down the second row, Joey turned and grabbed her hand puling her with him to the front, she stumbled against a chair which Poppy caught before it went tumbling to the floor. The rest of the family filed into the chapel and the minister asked everyone to sit down. Tanya and Max were at the end of the second row. Alice, Joey and Lauren were the only ones seated on the front row.

Throughout the service Joey clung to her hand tightly, Alice started sobbing loudly as Uncle Jack started to talk about Derek. Lauren let go of Joey's hand and leant forward to grab her tissue, she handed one to Alice and then held one out to Joey who shook his head, as Lauren out the tissues in her bag again her voice vibrated, she saw it was the GP surgery again and she frowned and rejected the call and then turned the phone off. Panic suddenly set in and she felt hot and dizzy like she was going to pass out, her breathing became a little too fast and her heart raced. Joey leant forward

'Are you okay babe?' he whispered softly

'A little hot…dizzy' she replied. Tanya watched as Joey turned round to Poppy and asked for some water, she gave him a bottle and he unscrewed the cap and turned back and handed it to Lauren

'Do you want to go outside?' he rubbed her back gently as she took a few sips of water, she shook her head

'I'm okay' she told him softly 'I'm okay' she managed to control her breathing and began to feel a little better. Joey took the water from her and recapped it and stood it on the floor between then.

Tanya watched as they both say upright in their seats again, she saw Joey put his hand on her daughter's knee, and then they linked their fingers together. Max nudged her and he glared at him and then her attention moved back to the service.

Once the service was over, the curtains closed to hide the coffin from the mourners, Alice began to sob loudly, Joey put his free arm around her and reluctantly let go of Lauren's hand to hold Alice. People started to leave and Jack and Sharon came over to the three of them

'Alice are you ready to leave?' Jack asked her

She cried loudly in Joey's arms shaking her head, Lauren's heart broke for her, for both of them

'People are starting to go back to the house' Jack said

'Can't you see she's not up to it yet?' Joey snapped at him, his eyes were red.

Lauren stepped forward 'I'll go back' she said 'You two take all the time you need' she told them, Alice grabbed her and held on to her tightly 'I'll take care of things at the house' she told Alice. 'You two take care of each other' she said. She looked at Jack 'Can you stay here with them, ride back in their car? I can go back with Sharon' she said

'Of course' Jack nodded,

'Alice… I need to go now' Lauren said softly 'I'll see you soon okay?'

'Okay' she released Lauren from her grasp, as Joey reached towards Lauren, Alice threw herself back into her brother's arm, Lauren felt a pang of jealousy and the immediately felt guilty.

'Take as much time as you need' she said softly looking at Joey, she would have to settle for squeezing his arm gently, he nodded

'Thank you' he whispered over Alice's head. Lauren could only smile sadly in return.

**AN: Hope you are enjoying this story. Many thanks for all your reviews and support, it really means a lot that you think that this is something worth reading… next chapter later…..**


	43. Chapter 43

Lauren had been running around like a woman possessed back at the house, making cups of tea and coffee, refusing any help from anyone, shushing them out of the kitchen with a scowl, she had opened the back door to try to get some air into the kitchen, the endless boiling of the kettles had filled the kitchen with steam and she felt like she was in a sauna. She took another tray of teas and coffees into the lounge and began to gather up the empty cups, she glanced around looking for Joey and Alice, and felt disappointed to find them not back yet.

'Let me give you a hand' Sharon said and she gathered up more cups before Lauren could protest and followed her into the kitchen 'How are you holding up?' she asked her

'I'm keeping busy in here' she replied

'Avoiding Tanya and Max?'

'Maybe' Lauren shrugged 'I just… I don't want another argument. Not today' she replied 'Alice is already upset enough as it is' Lauren put the dirty cups in the sink and started to wash them up. 'I;m okay Sharon really' she told her

'Okay I'll leave you to it' she said softly, she walked slowly down the hallway towards the lounge and saw Joey standing in the doorway scanning the room, Sharon knew instantly who he was looking for 'She's in the kitchen' she told him softly.

Lauren turned when she heard the kitchen door close, 'Joey' she said, and they rushed towards each other and met in the middle of the room 'I was getting worried' she confessed as he pulled her close and embraced her tightly 'Is Alice okay? Are you okay? Can I do anything?' she bombarded him with questions.

'Alice is fine, calmer now, And I'm okay now that I am here with you and you're already doing it' he said and he pulled back a little to look at her 'I'm more worried about you… what happened in the chapel?'

'I just felt dizzy …. I must have leant forward too quickly. And it was really hot in there' she explained

'Yeah it was' Joey nodded in agreement 'Well you have your colour back now.' He said and his fingers grazed her cheek 'I was worried about you' he told her

'You don't need to worry about me Joey I'm fine' she told him and she sighed 'You'd better show your face in the lounge before Alice sends out a search party. Joey nodded

'Yeah I should, thank you for today… you've been amazing' he said and he stole a quick kiss before he let her go and left her alone in the kitchen.

Lauren made four more trips of tea and coffee and then she paused in the doorway and looked around the room 'Here, looks like you could use this' Sharon said and she handed her a coffee

'Got anything stronger?' she asked her

'No sorry' Sharon shook her head.

'Well then I guess this will have to do' Lauren said softly, she cast her eye over the food and frowned thoughtfully 'Have they had anything?'

'Joey and Alice?' Sharon asked her and she nodded 'Er no I don't think they have' she replied.

'Can you hold this for a second?' she asked her giving Sharon her cup as she walked towards the table, she grabbed a plate and proceeded to put a selection of food on it and then she carried it over to the sofa where Alice and Joey sat 'You two need to eat' she told them and she put the plate between them on the sofa

'Thanks Lauren' Alice said and he looked up at her 'Come and sit you've been on your feet all day'

'Okay' Lauren nodded and she picked up the plate and sat down 'At least then I can make sure that you two clear this plate' she told them both 'Eat' she ordered them. Joey and Alice picked up a sandwich each and started to eat.

After ten minutes Carol appeared in front of them 'Ah Lauren there you are. We're out of coffee' she told her 'When you're ready'

'Okay' Lauren said and she started to get up

'I'll go' Joey said and he looked at her 'You need to eat too' he told her firmly. He used her knee to push himself up off the sofa and she smiled.

'Thanks, I'll be threw in a minute to help' she replied softly.

Lauren didn't realise how hungry she was she was fairly certain that she was the one out of her and Alice that had eaten the majority of the food on the plate.

'Joey's been a while' Alice said 'Maybe I should go see if he's okay? She turned her head towards the door

'I''ll go' Lauren said 'you finish eating' she handed the plate to Alice who picked up another sandwich and took a bite.

Lauren walked into the kitchen, shutting the door so that she and Joey could have a few moments privacy no matter how brief it was.

'You have a house full of parched guests' Lauren told him and she brushed against him as she reached out and turned the tap to fill the sink

'Leave it' he said and he turned the tap off.

'Joey, people are thirsty' she frowned at him

'I don't care about them' he told her 'I care about this' he said and he held up the letter that she had stashed in the drawer earlier that morning. 'This said that you had an appointment this morning at 11:00am to discuss your test results' he turned to look at her 'What test results Lauren?' he asked her.

**AN: Sorry! That's all for tonight, R&R.. back tomorrow….. **


	44. Chapter 44

'It's been in my bag for days. I only opened it this morning' she told him

'That's not what I asked you' he said 'What test results Lauren?'

She closed her eyes 'Joey please can we not do this now? There's a houseful of people…..' she started to say

'Fine then I'll kick them out' he told her and he walked towards the kitchen door and reached for the handle.

I had a smear test and some blood tests' she told him, he paused and he turned to look at her

'What were the blood tests for?'

'I don't know…he said he was going to run a few…' she said with a shrug. 'Look I didn't open the letter until today I forgot that I had it in my bag. I would have rearranged the appointment if I had seen it before today' she said to him softly. 'I've already called the doctor and spoken with him'

'And what did he say?'

'Nothing it's nothing to worry about' Lauren told him

'I know you well enough to know when you are lying to me' he said

Lauren sighed 'He's referring me to the hospital, he's made an appointment for me for Wednesday afternoon' Lauren told him

'Why? What does he think is wrong?' Joey moved away from the door to stand in front of her

'He said that he's probably being over cautious because of my family history, the results of my smear test were slightly abnormal he wants to me to have another test at the hospital'

'What do you mean your family history?' he asked her

'Look people are waiting for drinks can we talk about this later?' she turned to the sink and filled the kettle with water and turned it on to boil 'It's really nothing Joey'

'It doesn't sound like nothing to me' he snapped at her.

The kitchen door opened and Tanya came in 'I was chasing the drinks…. Is everything okay in here?' she looked between Lauren and Joey sensing some tension

'I need some air' Joey said and he walked out of the back door, shutting it with a loud bang behind him causing both Lauren and Tanya to jump

'What was that all about?' Tanya asked her

'He's just upset' Lauren replied shaking her head 'It's nothing' she sighed 'Can you sort the drinks I want to go make sure that he's okay'

'Maybe you should let him have some space' she said 'I'll help you with the drinks, it'll give us a chance to talk' she smiled at Lauren.

'There more milk in the fridge if you need it' Lauren said as she opened the back door and she went outside leaving her mother surprised and confused.

Lauren looked around, wondering where Joey would go. She went inside the Vic and walked the length of the bar, he wasn't there. Next she walked through the market and poked her head into the Café. Still no Joey. She walked back towards the house and thought he might be at the park near the garage, she crossed through the gardens and she found him sitting on the bench. She walked over to him and sat down.

'Mum had cancer, cervical cancer' Lauren told him 'she got the clear about 3 months before you came to Walford. The doctor is just being overcautious like I said' '

'But it's a possibility that you could have cancer, like your mum?' he grew concerned

'A slight possibility' Lauren nodded 'Very slight' she said

''Why didn't you tell me?' he asked her

'I was going to. Just not today' she replied 'Look you already have a lot on your mind and I didn't want to add to it with if's and maybes and I didn't want you to have worry about Alice and worry about me too and I didn't want to spoil the weekend' she looked at him 'I'm sorry. A lot of people who have abnormal smears don't get cancer'

'We have to be able to talk about things like this, to be there for each other'

'I know' Lauren nodded and she reached out and put her hand on his thigh 'Look I understand if you want to cancel this weekend…'

'I don't' Joey's head shot up to look at her 'Do you want to cancel the weekend? Do you feel ill?' he was suddenly even more concerned.

'I feel fine Joey' she told him squeezing his thigh 'I promise and I don't want to cancel the weekend, I've been looking forward to it'

'Me too' he told me

'So does that mean that we are still going?' she asked him

'I think we both need to get out of Walford for a while' he replied 'Yes we're still going' he told her 'What time is your appointment Wednesday?'

'3:30pm, why?' she frowned

'I'll come with you' he told her

'Joey you don't have to do that …'

'Yes I do' he said and he looked at her, he raised his hand and he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingered on her cheek 'I want to. I'll only worry about you' he told her. 'I want to come and whatever the results we'll deal with it together' he told her

'We should get back inside before we get missed' she said softly as she stood up and he nodded and he looked at her and stood up too,

'Come here' he said and he pulled her into a hug 'I mean it babe' his close to her ear 'whatever the results I'm here okay. I'm not going anywhere'

**AN: Okay so I am not a doctor and I am not making light of any illnesses. The events in this chapter are not factually correct and are so for the purpose of telling a story so if anyone is offended or upset that wasn't my intention and I apologise. **

**Please R&R. Hope you are enjoying the story. **


	45. Chapter 45

Lauren closed the door after the last guest left. She turned and leant against the wall and closed her eyes with a long sigh.

'You look exhausted' Kat said

'I am' Lauren said 'And I also sick of making tea and coffee and serving sandwiches' she said and she turned to look at Kat. 'I guess I should clean up'

'I'll do it go and sit down' she told her 'Take a break'

'Are you sure?'

'Yeah I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't' she replied

'Thanks' Lauren told her gratefully. She headed into the lounge to see Alice give Joey a brief embrace and then she turned and saw Lauren,

'Thank you for today. You've been amazing' Alice told her 'We couldn't have got through this today without you' she smiled and she hugged Lauren tightly.

'Er Alice… need to breathe!' Lauren squeaked, Alice loosened her grip

'I'm glad Joey's taking you away somewhere this weekend. You deserve it' she told her. 'you'll have to let me know all the details when you get back'

'I will' Lauren said as Alice let her go

'I'm going to lie down for a while' Alice said 'It's been a long emotional exhausting day'

'Okay' Lauren nodded. She watched as Alice climbed the stairs and heard her bedroom door shut. Lauren turned round to look at Joey 'You told her?'

'That we were going away yeah, kind of had to. She'd notice me not being around for nearly 4 days' he replied

'True' Lauren said and she yawned 'What time do we have to leave?'

'We check in at the B&B any time after 7pm' Joey replied, she looked at her watch, it was 3pm 'So we leave at 5pm. Should only take us two hours on the train, a short taxi ride from the station' Lauren yawned again.

'Why don't you go lie down for a bit?' he asked her

'Because if I close my eyes I'll sleep for days' she told him 'I'm going go for a walk' she told him 'Clear my head a little bit' she told Joey

'Do you want some company?' he asked her,

'Actually… I kind of want a little bit time on my own after being surrounded by loads of people today' she told him 'I'll only be an hour'

'Okay' he nodded 'Have you got your key?'

'Yeah' she smiled at him 'I'll see you soon'

Joey looked at the clock it was 4:30pm, he wondered where Lauren was. He was about to call her mobile when he heard the key in the door. 'Lauren is that you?' he rushed to the door

'Yeah it's me. I'm sorry I lost track of the time' she told him

'I was worried I thought you'd changed your mind' he looked at her

'Nope' she told him ' Have I got time to get changed freshened up a little?' she asked him

'Fifteeen minutes'

'That's all I need' she grinned at him.

She grabbed her bag from the bottom of the stairs and ran up the stairs.

Fifteen minutes later she was makeup free and ready and Joey smiled at her 'So you can be on time when you need to be?' he asked her

'When I've got the right incentive' she said with a grin.

'Come on you' he said and he picked his own bag up and they made their way to the station.

No one saw them leave which they thought was a small miracle, not to mention if they had been seen and stopped by any of their friends they didn't have time to explain things to anyone.

They made it onto the train and once they had sat down Lauren lay her head on Joey's shoulder, within a few minutes she was asleep. She work briefly when they arrived in Brighton and stumbled after Joey as he went to find a taxi. He sent her in to the B&B ahead of him to check in while he paid for the taxi and got their bags. He felt more excited by the second at the idea of finally being able to make love to Lauren. He followed the map to their room and opened the door and carried the bag inside. He smiled when he saw Lauren. He closed the door quietly and locked it and put the bags down by the wardrobe doors.

He laughed and shook his head, Lauren was face down on the bed, one arm out of her jacket, one shoe off and she was fast asleep.

He decided to let her sleep, and carefully removed her shoes and her jacket. She murmured softly a she felt him toll her over onto her back and pick her up, he pulled back the sheets and he lay her down on the bed, she snuggled against the pillows.

'Night baby' he whispered softly and kissed her forehead.

**AN: Well that made it to Brighton…. What happens next? Back tomorrow… Maybe …..**

**R&R **


	46. Chapter 46

Lauren woke at 9:30am and found herself alone and fully dressed in bed. She frowned 'Joey?' she called out, not hearing a reply she pushed back the covers and climbed out of bed. 'Joey?' she called again. Lauren walked around the room and saw her bag on the floor and picked it up and went into the bathroom. She stripped off and stepped into the shower and let the water wash over her. She stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and wrapped a towel around her body and her hair and she walked back into the bedroom. She found her phone in the bottom of her bag and she looked at it and sent a text to Joey. She heard a beeping noise in the room and turned around to see his phone on the table. 'Okay so you were here too'' she muttered to herself.

She dressed and then then took the time to really look around the room, she walked to the window and looked out and saw that they were close to the beach and they had an amazing view, they had a balcony that was big enough for a small table and two chairs where they could enjoy the sea air and a glass of wine or two. She frowned as she realised that this wasn't the B&B that she had told Joey to book. This was the one that she thought was too expensive, the one that she liked best, and Joey must have realised and booked it for her. She smiled to herself as she continued to peruse the room, the bed was a large four poster bed, maybe even a queen sized bed, the room was decorated in delicate tones of gold and cream, she ran her fingers over the sheets, they were soft and silky to the touch, much softer than the sheets she had at home, she thought about how they would feel on her naked skin, wondered what Joey's skins would feel like against hers. Mentally kicking herself for being too shattered last night to find out for herself.

The door opened and she turned to see Joey come in with a brown paper bag. 'Hey. You're awake' he said with a smile 'Did you sleep okay?'

'Best nights sleep since I moved into Tyler's' she replied. He walked over to her and put the bag down on the bed, his hands slid around her waist and he guided her towards him, 'This B&B is too expensive' she scolded him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with the hair on the back of his head 'It's perfect'

Joey smiled broadly 'I know' he replied 'I saw the way your face lit up when you saw it and I knew that this is where we had to stay' he told her 'Besides, this was my favourite too. I've spent a lot of time this week imagining you in this bed'

'I'm sorry I fell asleep' she said to him

'It's okay. You had a busy day. Which I didn't thank you for' he told her

'Well you can thank me now' Lauren suggested as she moved forward and kissed him softly, she trace the seam of his lips with her tongue and was surprised when Joey pulled away

'As much as I want to babe we can't' he told her 'I've just been out arranging for us to go sightseeing and visit various attractions' he said as he let her go. 'The first of which is in half an hour. I brought you some breakfast' he nodded towards the bag on the bed. She blinked at him, suddenly feeling more than a little disappointed. She sat down on the bed and peered inside the bag. He had brought her a chocolate croissant that was still warm and a bottle of orange juice. Her mouth watered and she tucked into the food greedily. When she was finished she cleaned her teeth in the bathroom, returned to the bedroom and picked up her phone, she scrolled through it and saw a couple of texts from Lucy and Whitney.

'Hey!' she exclaimed as the phone suddenly disappeared from her hand.

'And this weekend is about you and me and that means absolutely no distractions from home' he told her 'for either of us' he turned both phones off and dropped them into his duffle bag and put it in the wardrobe.

'But my phone …..'

'You can live for 3 days without your phone' Joey told her

'But Joey….!'

'Come on let's go' he said 'We have a fun packed day ahead' he told her as he walked to the door.

Lauren scowled at him, picked up her hand bag and she followed him out of the room.

During the day Joey took her on a tour of this little part of Brighton, they visited a toy museum, one his favourites when he was a child, she wasn't overjoyed at this activity and she made sure that Joey knew but Joey seemed to be in awe of all the toys that he saw, she smiled at him shaking her head at his excitement, he surprised her when the next place visited was an art gallery, they were I there for over two hours as Lauren took her time appreciating all the art work that adjourned the walls. Joey was more patient that she was as she lost herself in some of the pictures.

When she'd had her fill of the art gallery she walked over to Joey and she looked up at him 'Thank you' she smiled at him, 'This had been an amazing day' she told him

'It's not over yet' he told her 'You hungry?' he asked, she nodded her head 'I'll buy us lunch' he told her and he took her hand and they left the gallery and he led her to a quiet little pub.

As they ate he told her more stories of his child hood, trips that he took with him mum and Alice. He opened up to her more and by the end of the hour and a half in the pub she felt that she knew him even better. He went to the men's room and she sipped her drink as she waited for him to return, she realised that she hadn't actually missed her phone at all and that Joey had been right. They did need this, she needed this, no distractions from her friends and family back home, she couldn't remember the last time she felt this relaxed. Joey sat down beside her when he returned

'Do you want another drink?' he asked 'Or do you want to want to go for a walk along the beach?'

'A walk' she replied.

'Come on then'

She took his hand as they walked towards the beach. It wasn't packed but there were a few people there, it was a sunny day, there was a bit of a chill in the wind but Lauren didn't care, a ten force gale could be blowing or it could be snowing, as long as she was with Joey she was happy.

'I'm glad we did this' she told him

'Yeah? Even visiting the toy museum?'

'It wasn't exactly something that I would have chosen but I had fun' she nodded

'Well that's good to hear because there's much more to come, there's some many things that I have planned for today' he grinned at her and he pulled her close and put his arm around her shoulders.

Joey wasn't lying. He had thought of everything to keep her entertained, cramming so much into the day, they had visited a rock making factory, and Lauren was fascinated by how rock was made and how they got the writing through the middle of the rock. Joey had brought her a selection of confectionery and some chocolate covered honeycombe, he was shocked when she told him that she had never had it before and insisted that she try it, and as he had expected she loved it.

The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping, he waited patiently whilst she tried things on in dressing rooms before grinning when she came out to show him what she had brought.

It was 6pm and they were on the way back to the B&B carrying some bags each, so they could hold eachother's hands and they could hear music and see some lights a few blocks away from the B&B

'What's that?' Lauren asked him

'It's the funfair' Joey told her 'Rides. Games, food'

'Oh can we go?' Lauren asked him 'I've never been to one' she looked up at him. He saw the excitement on her face and if he was being honest he wanted to go to, but he wasn't sure if it would be something that Lauren would want to do.

''Alright. We'll just drop these off at the B&B and then we'll go' he told her with a grin

**AN: They made it to Brighton! Yay! Hope you are enjoying the story so far… as always R&R. **


	47. Chapter 47

'You're just a sore loser because I was better at the shooting game than you were' Lauren giggled as they entered the room at the B&B at 10:30pm.

'You only won because the guy on the stall fancied you' he said a little bit miffed.

Lauren put the large toy monkey that she had won on the bed and she grinned and turned to look at Joey 'Which is why I got the biggest and cutest stuffed toy on the stall'

'You do know that I am not helping you carrying that thing when we go home don't you?' he asked her 'it's repulsive and creepy!'

'It is not! It's cute!' Lauren exclaimed 'You're just jealous because you didn't win one!'

'It's going in the wardrobe' he told her and he scooped it off the bed and crossed the room and stuffed it inside. Lauren laughed at him as she walked to the menus on the table and picked it up, Joey stole a glance at her 'You can't possibly still be hungry! You've eaten 3 hotdogs, 2 lots of candy floss and a taco, not to mention the bag of popcorn you scoffed by yourself'

'You said you didn't want any' she looked at him surprised that he had kept track of how much she had eaten 'And I was hungry…. I didn't really each much yesterday' she replied 'and besides you ate as much as I did well minus the popcorn' she reminded him. 'And I wasn't going to order anything I was just looking to see what there was' Joey started to empty his pockets, putting his wallet on the table, his keys joined them shortly afterwards.

'Well I don't know about you but I am shattered' he told her 'I'm going to take a quick shower' he disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. She heard the shower start up and she opened the mini-fridge and she chose a bottle of wine and she poured herself a glass, she took the glass out onto the balcony stood looking out at the view. The moon was full and bright and the sea sparkled like diamonds from the light, there was a light breeze, but it wasn't cold. She smiled as remembered the way Joey had touched her at every opportunity, holding her hand, touching her cheek, stealing kisses, putting his arm around her, here they were acting alike a couple, the complete opposite from the way they acted back home. She knew that when they returned they would have to go back to acting that way until they agreed that it was the right time to tell everyone about their relationship. Her smiled faded a little as she thought about those conversations and the fallout of their revelation.

She didn't hear Joey come out from the bathroom, or step out onto the balcony, 'Hey' he whispered softly, he slid his arms around her waist, standing up close behind her she could feel his chest on her back. 'Pretty amazing view huh?' he asked her looking over her shoulder

'It's beautiful' she took another sip of wine 'And today was perfect… I had so much fun and we've seen so much….there's not going to be anything left to see tomorrow'

She felt Joey pulling her hair away from her neck 'That was kind of the plan' Joey told her

'What do you mean?'

'Well now that you've seen all the attraction and sights there's no reason for us to get out of bed tomorrow' he said as he kissed a path down her neck 'and you have a lot of things to tell Alice now' he said 'She'll think I dragged you round Brighton the whole time we were here' he said to her 'And it will explain the fact the we stayed an extra couple of nights' he told her softly, he raised his head and he reached out and he took her glass of wine and took a mouthful before handing her the glass back.

'We're not going home Monday?' Lauren asked in surprise, secretly thrilled at his announcement

'Nope. We go home Wednesday' Joey told her 'I've already cleared it with Sharon, I've had to agree to do a couple of extra shifts at the club but it's worth it to spend a little bit more time with you' he said with a smile 'Mmm that wine is good, I'm going to get a glass, refill babe?'

'Please' she said and she drained her glass and then held it out to Joey, she watched as he went back into the room and poured them both some wine. He handed her the glass as he returned and he smiled at her 'Thank you' she told him 'I can't believe we're staying another 2 nights' she told him

'It was the only thing that stopped me from throwing you down on the bed this morning and having my way with you' he admitted to her 'you have no idea how hard it was to actually leave the room'

'I thought that maybe you were having second thoughts…. and I know I fell asleep when we got here' she said softly 'I was really looking forward to our first night together and I ruined it'

Joey smiled and shook his head 'You didn't ruin anything baby. You were tired, that's allowed' he said and he closed the gap between them and took her glass away from her and set it down on the table next to his 'and we have tonight' he said softly as he cupped her face in his hands and he moved forward and he kissed her, a soft sensual kiss full of promises, promises that were way overdue, she wrapped her arms around his waist as joey deepened the kiss.

When they broke apart they were both a little breathless and eager for more 'Shall we take this inside?' he asked her, Lauren looked up at him, his eyes were dark, filled with lust, the nervousness that she had felt earlier had suddenly gone, she took his hand and led him inside and towards the bed.

**AN: I know this is a cruel place to stop but next chapter I hope will meet all your expectations and tick all the boxes…..and as the saying goes good things come to those who wait….. R&R **


	48. Chapter 48

Lauren reached for the bottom of Joeys t-shirt and she pulled it upwards, he raised his arms so she could pull it up over her head, she dropped it on to the floor, she moved forward, placing his hands on his hips and kissed his chest, letting her tongue taste the skin beneath before she raised her face to his, his lips met hers and he slid his tongue into her mouth seeking out hers. He felt her hands slide over his stomach, her nails raking over his skin, her hands moved the front of his jeans, passing over the button and the zip to stoke him through the denim. He groaned into her mouth, his tongue thrusting against hers harder, her nibble fingers undid his jeans and she pushed them down, she broke the kiss and licked her lips 'You know I think that I am still hungry after all' she told him with a wicked grin, she dropped onto her knees and reached up and pulled his jeans and boxers shorts down to his ankles.

'Fuck!' he exclaimed as her mouth closed over his cock and she took him deep into her mouth, sucking hard as she worked his length in and out of her mouth, she pulled him almost out to the tip, swirled her tongue around the head, paying special attention to the underside and then plunged him back into her mouth, his hand fisted in her hair, trying to be gentle so that he didn't hurt her, 'Shit Lauren!' he groaned loudly as she increased her pace and began to suck him harder. He knew he wasn't going to last much longer, she knew it too and she pulled him all the way out of her mouth and began to slide her tongue around his head, lapping up the drops of precum, she stroked him firmly with her hand and Joey groaned again

'Babe…' he murmured softly 'Shit. Babe please….. suck it.. please' he pleaded with her. She took him back into her mouth taking pity on him and she moved her mouth up and down on his throbbing erection, she grazed his teeth along his length and he came undone. 'Lauren! Jesus Lauren!' he cried out as he felt his climax hit, his fist pulled on her hair as he pulsed into her mouth sending hot semen shooting down her throat, she swallowed hungrily and keeping up her pace until she felt him soften in her mouth, she licked him clean and then helped him step out of his jeans, Joey was looking down at her and he held out his hands, she let him help her up until she standing upright.

'Now I'm full' she told him with another grin,

He pulled her close to him and he kissed her, tasting himself on her lips, in her mouth, on her tongue. His hands slid down inside the back of her leggings and her panties to her bottom and he squeezed hard before he started to move her back towards the bed, he expertly divested her off her clothes from the waist down before she sat down on the bed, he paused briefly to take off her sandals and he kissed the inside of her left ankle, he raised his eyes to meet hers and he held them as he kissed slowly her up leg to the top of her thigh and then just as she thought he was going to kiss her where she wanted him the most he pulled away and repeated the torture again as he kissed a trail up the inside of her right leg, again starting at the ankle. She flopped down onto the bed with a groan of frustration. His lips reached the top of her thigh again and she moaned softly. He smiled and he slowly trailed his fingers up her thigh and brushed them lightly against her. She whimpered softly

'Please Joey' she whispered, he ran his fingers along the length of her sex, feeling the moisture there.

'You're so wet baby' he murmured against her thigh, he turned his head and he licked the length of her opening, she moaned loudly and his tongue found her clit and he circled it with his tongue, she whimpered again, he pushed a couple of fingers inside her and began to pump them in and out slowly, steadily increasing the rhythm as his tongue lapped at her clit. Lauren was writhing around on the bed as Joey's tongue and fingers worked their magic between her legs. She groaned as he sucked on her clit gently and inserted a third finger. She was already beyond aroused and she knew it wouldn't be long before Joey brought her to an earthshattering climax.

'Oh god! Joey!' Lauren gasped loudly 'Right there please… please….' She could feel her orgasm building and she bit down on her bottom lip as Joey doubled his efforts, she lifted her head and glanced down to see Joey's head buried between her thighs, he moaned softly against her flesh. 'Joey…Joey!...' she cried out as her orgasm hit her, Joey increased the pressure of his tongue against her clit, still pumping his fingers inside her, milking every single ounce of pleasure that he could from her. He felt her body suddenly go slack and he withdrew his fingers and licked them clean and he moved onto the bed beside her. He stripped the rest of her clothes off with minimal help from Lauren and he when he was done he gazed down at her, she was naked and breathing heavily as she recovered from her first orgasm of the night. He lowered his head to her breast, taking her nipple into his mouth and he sucked on it firmly, she gave a soft moan and he felt her fingers his hair, he looked up at her and kissed a trail up over the mound of her breast and towards her neck

'You okay babe?' he murmured in her ear as he moved over her, his ran his hand down the side of her body to her leg and he pulled her knee up over his hip as he settled between her thighs, she opened her eyes and she looked at him and she nodded

'Better than okay' she whispered as she pulled him down into a kiss, licking his lips and caressing his tongue with her own, her heart was racing in her chest as she felt Joey's cock pressing against her, they both broke the kiss as Joey pushed himself inside her. He closed his eyes, letting out a deep groan as he felt how tight and wet she was, he knew that this coupling wasn't going to last long despite his earlier climax. Joey stilled once he was completely seated inside her, letting her get used to the size of him.

Lauren gasped in surprise as she felt him enter her, she knew he was well endowed, but she had no idea that having him inside her would feel this exquisite. It was like he was made for her, she could feel every single inch of him as he slid inside her and now he was still and he was filling her completely, his breath close by her ear the only thing that she could hear, she kissed his shoulder and her fingers travelled down his back and she dug her nails into his tight toned buttocks. He slowly started to move, withdrawing almost to the tip, before thrusting back inside her, he could feel her inner muscles rippling around him and Lauren gave a tiny cry, thinking he had hurt her he froze and she frowned and opened her eyes to look at him confused.

'Don't stop' she shook her head and she pulled him down into a heated kiss. He started to move again and slow steady rhythm and they both moaned at the sensations.

'Oh….my…god…' Lauren gasped as she bucked her hips to meet his thrusts 'Joey….' She buried her face in his neck and then began to kiss his throat, biting the skin causing him to groan and thrust into her harder. Lauren could already feel another orgasm building within her and when Joey rotated his hips a little her eyes practically rolled into the back of her head. She'd had sex before, a lot, but the feelings that Joey was someone how managing to pull from her body were entirely new. Every single nerve ending seemed to come alive at his touch, and the way he was moving inside her was nothing she had ever experienced before. Joey's lips moved to her throat and he kissed and sucked hard on the skin, she knew that he was probably marking her but at this given point in time she really didn't care. Joey added a slight rotation to his hips as he thrust inside her and he groaned against her neck as she dug her nails into his lower back. 'On god… Joey!' she exclaimed, gasping and moaning beneath him, he felt her walls tighten around him and began to thrust harder as he felt a tell- tale tingle in his balls, he reached between their joined bodied and found her clit and he began to rub it hard with his fingers, she exploded around him, crying out his name over and over again, feeling her coming around him so hard triggered his own release and he came loudly muttering her name against her neck.

Joey collapsed on top of her, his breathing wild and erratic, she revelled in his full weight pressing her into the mattress, she kissed his shoulder and neck and he raised his head and he looked at her and then he kissed her softly as withdrew from her and lay on his back on the bed.

'Okay …. That was …' Lauren struggled for the right words

'Orgasmic?' Joey said with a grin 'Better than the chocolate mousse?' he teased her

She rolled to face him and he picked up her hand and flattened it against his before entwining his fingers through hers, he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it

'Mmm, I don't know….definitely a close second' she replied straight faced.

'Give me ten minutes and we'll go again' he said

'Ten minutes?'

'Okay fifteen' he grinned at her and he pulled her forward and he kissed her softly.

**AN: Well there you go…Lauren and Joey have finally had sex….hope you enjoyed it…and that the long awaiting chapter had lived up to your expectations. As always please R&R. Back soon….**


	49. Chapter 49

Lauren was the first to wake the next morning, she was wrapped in Joey's arms, her back against her chest, she smiled as she remembered the events of last night. Not only had Joey convinced her that sex with him was in fact better than his chocolate mousse, he'd also convinced her that that as far as she was concerned he was insatiable. She actually felt a little bit sore this morning, but not in a bad way, a pleasant "thoroughly fucked" kind of way, her arms and legs ached a bit too, but she wasn't going to complain about that either She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face and she wriggled back against Joey, although he wasn't awake, a certain part of his anatomy was, she wriggled her bottom against him and he gave a low groan in his sleep and his arms tightened around her and she felt him nuzzle her neck with his lips and his hand covered her breast.

'Morning gorgeous' he whispered close to her ear

'Morning' she replied she shifted slightly and he loosened his grip and she turned around his arms so she could look at him.

'Did you sleep okay?' he asked as her, she nodded and smiled at him and he moved forward and he closed the gap between them and he kissed her softly before rolling her onto her back and moving over her.

After a very pleasurable hour, Joey climbed out of bed and he grabbed his wallet 'Do you have to go?' she asked him from the rumpled sheets,

'Yes I'll be ten, fifteen minutes tops' he told her 'We have to eat Lauren'

She grinned at him 'I guess you do need to keep your energy levels up'

He smiled shaking his head 'Do not move!' he warned her as he opened the door 'I fully expect you to be naked and in bed when I get back'

'I can't promise anything' she said to him 'If you're going to leave me here all alone I may get bored…I knew I should I have packed Bob' she said with a sigh

'When I get back we are going to have a very serious conversation about Bob' he told her, he closed the door behind him and Lauren scampered out of bed. She opened the wardrobe door and fished in Joey's bag for her phone, finding it she pulled on a robe and went into the bathroom. She turned her phone on and started the shower running. After a brief 5 minute shower she wrapped a towel around her body and quickly towel dried her hair. She picked up her phone and she dialled Tyler's number

'Hello you' Tyler answered after one ring 'Enjoying Brighton?' he asked

'Listen Ty I don't have a lot of time to talk, Joey's going to back any minute and … well that doesn't matter. I left a large brown envelope in the kitchen Thursday night when I went over to Joey's'

'Yeah I remember seeing that when I got back, it's not there now though' he said

'No I've got … I Just did you look inside?'

'No why?' he frowned

'I just wondered that's all

'Why what was in it?' he asked now curious

'Nothing important' she said 'Oh Joey's back' she hissed and she cut off the call.

'Lauren? Hello? Lauren?' Tyler frowned and he stared at the phone 'She cut me off" he said to himself shaking his head.

Lauren rushed back into the bedroom just as Joey came in 'You moved' he said narrowing her eyes at her

'I got bored' she shrugged putting her hands behind her back.

'What are you hiding?' he asked her

'Nothing' she lied 'so what did you get for breakfast, it smells good and I'm starving'

'Nice attempt at changing the subject' Joey said as he put the food down on the table, he stalked over to her slowly and she dashed round the other side of the bed with a squeal.

'Oh you want to play?' he asked her

She swallowed and shook her head 'No' she looked behind him and her eyes widened slightly as she saw she had left the wardrobe door slightly ajar. He frowned and turned following her gaze.

'Oh I see, you've broken two rules' he said 'You've got your phone'

'No' she lied 'Maybe' she giggled as he crawled across the bed to get to her, he grabbed the front of the towel and pulled her towards him 'You left me all alone!' she exclaimed as she climbed onto the bed 'It's your fault!'

'So any interesting messages from back home?' he asked her as he reached behind her for the phone.

'Don't know I didn't look' she raised her hand over her head in an attempt to stop him from getting the phone from her, the towel dropped from her body at the movement and Joey's attention moved elsewhere.

'Interesting distraction technique' he nodded his head

'Is it working?' she chewed on her bottom lip biting back a smile

'Absolutely' he said and he pulled her into a kiss before pushing her back onto the bed. The phone dropped from her hand and onto the floor, momentarily forgotten.

'What about breakfast?' she asked him as he pulled his t-shirt over his head.

'Babe you are breakfast' he told her with a smirk as he lowered his face between her thighs.

Joey's fingers were tracing patterns on Lauren's back as she lay draped across his chest, 'So Tyler said that he didn't look inside the envelope?' he asked her

'That's what he said' she nodded

'Do you think he has?'

'No he would have told me if he had' Lauren said softly 'Tyler wouldn't lie to me'

Joey looked down at her 'You two are close huh?'

'Yeah, he just gets me that's all' she told me

'And I don't?'

'No I didn't say that.. he just knows me better…. Okay this is coming out wrong' Lauren said with a sigh and she moved her head on his chest to look up at him ' he knows me better pre you. You know all of my secrets'

'All?' he raised his eyebrows.

'Most' she corrected with a smile, she pulled herself to kiss him gently.

Joey was true to his word, they rarely ventured out of bed over the next few days except to get food or to use the bathroom. Tuesday night they went out for dinner to an Italian restaurant and after they had eaten they went for a moonlit stroll along the beach, hand in hand.

'I can't believe we have to go back tomorrow' Lauren said

'The real world beckons' Joey said and she sighed 'I'm going to miss it here' he said softly 'Miss being with you like this, being able to walk hand in hand with you, miss being able to kiss you whenever I want to, I'm going to miss waking up next to you in the morning, eating breakfast with you' he told her

'We have one more night left' Lauren said and she stopped walking and she turned to look at him, the wind blew her hair around her face and Joey smiled and he pushed her hair behind her ears.

'Yeah we do' he nodded and he kissed her gently

'So take me to bed' she whispered against his lips.

**AN: So Brighton was everything Lauren and Joey expected it to be. **

**What happens when they get back to Walford after being able to act like a normal couple?**

**Are people suspicious about them going away together?**

**Will the couple discover that Lauren is ill and if so how will they deal with this news? **

**Keep reading to find out….. thank you for the reviews I am glad you are enjoying this story. And as always R&R. **


	50. Chapter 50

Wednesday morning, Lauren woke early and she carefully removed herself from Joey's arms so she didn't wake him, used the bathroom and pulled on a robe. She made a coffee and quietly crept out onto the balcony. She looked out at the view, the sun was just starting to peek out over the horizon. She heard the door slide open further and Joey's arms move around her waist.

'What are you doing up, it's early' he said softly kissing her cheek and reaching for her coffee

'I couldn't sleep' she admitted to him 'I didn't want to wake you so I thought I'd come out here and I found this' she nodded towards the view

He looked at the sunrise and he smiled 'It is beautiful isn't it?' he asked her and then he frowned 'Wait are you saying last night didn't exhaust you?' he asked her 'Because I'm pretty sure I did' he took a mouthful of coffee and gave her the cup back.

'Last night was amazing' Lauren said to him and she turned her head towards his and they kissed softly 'In fact every night has been amazing'

'Well I aim to please' he teased her. She turned back to the sunrise resting her head against his shoulder 'Are you worried about this afternoon, the hospital?' he asked her

'No' she told him 'It's just another test, we'll have to wait for the results so there's no point in worrying now'

'So what are you worried about?' he asked her

'Going home' she told him 'Going back to the way we were, having to hide the way that we feel'

Joey took the cup from her and he set it down on the table and he turned her round to look at him 'Hey, we will tell people about us, in a couple of weeks or so' he told her 'I'm not ashamed of the way that I feel about you, I have no regrets about us. I love you Lauren Branning' he told her 'and this break has been incredible and I'm glad we came here' he said and he licked his lips 'And I promise we'll do it again soon'

'Can we come back here?' she asked him

'Yeah of course' he nodded 'So….why don't you come back to bed hey?' he asked her as he kissed her, the spark between them ignited instantaneously and she wrapped her arms around his neck kissing him back hungrily. He bent slightly, still kissing her and she felt her legs being swept out from under her as Joey picked her up and carried her back towards the bedroom.

They made love slowly, tenderly, each of them savouring this moment together, both of them knowing it would be difficult to do this once they were back in Walford.

Lauren and Joey's eyes were locked on eachother's as he moved in a steady rhythm inside her, every so often she would close her eyes, her forehead wrinkling between her eyes, giving a soft groan as he thrust that little bit harder. He felt her start to contract around him in sensual ripples and he ceased his movements and he kissed her.

He'd discovered over the course of the few days they had been in Brighton that if her brought her to the brink of orgasm and then remained completely still just kissing her until the peak had faded that he could build her up again and repeat the actions two or three times and they would both have the most intense climax they'd both ever experienced. It took a great deal of concentration and restraint on his part, but the end result was definitely worth it.

He started to move again inside her and she moaned again, her fingers lightly tracing his back. He built her up twice more and then increased his rhythm and she arched up against him as he finally pushed her over the brink, her mouth was open in a silent cry and she held her breath as the orgasm slowly moved through her, starting at her toes and flowing through her body until it reached her head, she gasped in a lung full of air and her fingers gripped him tightly, her nails digging in almost to the point of pain as pinpricks of lights fluttered behind her eyes like she was watching a firework display.

'Joey!...' she cried out breathlessly 'oh god Joey!' he buried her face in the crook of her neck as his cock pumped into her and then pulsed as he emptied himself inside her.

'Lauren!' he groaned as he came.

When they had recovered he raised his head to look at her 'I love you' she whispered softly, he smiled and kissed her, a light peck on the lips.

'I love you too babe' he whispered back.

Later they were sitting on the train on the way back to Walford. The large monkey was sitting on one seat seemingly looking out of the window as the scenery flew passed. Joey and Lauren were sitting next to each other, their hands settled on Joey's lap. Every so often he would give her hand a little squeeze or he would hold it between both of his, they talked quietly and stole kisses. For anyone who looked they weren't family, they weren't cousins, there were clearly a young couple very much in love.

The tube was getting close to Walford station and they both knew they would have to go back to being cousins when other people were around. Lauren turned her head to Joeys and he reached out and cupped her face in his hand and he kissed her deeply, desire unfurled in her stomach and she mewled into his mouth as his tongue stoked the fire inside her. He gently ended the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers. 'Love you' he murmured softly

'Love you more' she replied in a whisper.

**AN: Back in Walford! What happens next? Well read on and see. You'll get no spoilers from me, maybe red herrings …. Enjoy and R&R as always. **


	51. Chapter 51

They had agreed to meet at the hospital before Lauren's appointment, Joey was sitting nervously in the waiting room, she had been in there for about 20 minutes, the nurse had told them that the test could take about an hour. Joey looked at the clock at the wall again wishing he was able to go into the room with her.

Movement from his peripheral vision caught his eye and he saw Lauren coming out of the room, followed by the doctor, Lauren's face was bright red, she paused at the nurses reception desk as the doctor spoke briefly to the nurse, Joey felt a little uncomfortable when the nurses gaze settled on him for a fraction of a second and then settled on Lauren, the nurse handed her a little white card with a smile and Lauren turned and walked over to Joey.

'What happened?' he asked her

Can we just go please?' she hissed at him as the doctor and nurse looked over at him

He followed her out of the hospital and she walked over to a bench and sat down covering her face with her hands 'Babe what happened?' he asked her again

'You have no idea how deeply mortified I am' she told him

'Why?' he pressed 'Lauren what happened!' he raised his voice a little and she took her hands away from her face and looked at him

'The doctor told me to get ready for the test and I'm lying there with my legs in the stirrups and he's …doing whatever he is that he needs to do.. down there and then he makes this unapproving noise in his throat and he stops and asks me if I've had sex in the last 24 hours. I told him that I have and he informs me that had I read the literature that the hospital sent me that it quite clearly states that any form of sexual activity should be refrained from for at least 24 hours before the procedure.' She told him

'What literature?' he frowned

'I guess it got posted to mums' she replied

'Well so we rebook' he said

'I've done that' she said holding up the card 'Friday at 10:00am' she told him

'Well then it's not that bad' Joey said uncertain as to why she was so embarrassed

'No that's fine, but he then started asking me about what type of contraceptive that I use and then gives me a lecture on the reasons why a sensible young women like me should be using condoms as well as the pill, and the whole time I'm still lying there, naked from the waist down with my feet in the stirrups as he lectures me on safe sex. And then he asked me about the birth mark on my inside of my thigh if it was causing any pain as it looked inflamed. I told him that I don't have a birth mark and then, quite calmly, he informs me that I have a hickey on my inner right thigh and then he launched into another lecture on the risks of oral sex' she told him going red again

'Babe I'm sorry' Joey said trying his best not to laugh

'It's not funny Joey!' she exclaimed

'It kind of is a little bit' he said and he cleared his throat at her glare 'No, no you're right it's not funny' he shook his head

'It's alright for you. You can just sit there in the waiting room I have to go back in with the doctor again on Friday'

'I'm sorry' he told her 'Hey babe come here' he said and he pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back with his hands 'I'm sure he sees things like that all the time' Joey said 'He's probably not fazed by it at all. Why don't we stop off at the pub round the corner, have some lunch?' he asked her

'I just want to go home and get the post from mums and wallow in my humiliation for a while' Lauren told him

'Okay well then I'll meet you in the Vic at 6' he told me 'come on, if we hurry we can get the next bus' he said and he took her hand and pulled her up.

They got off the bus together and Joey reminded her of their date and then walked into the club. Lauren went back to Tyler and grabbed her house keys and went over to her parent's house. She let herself in and saw a pile of post addressed to her on the bureau. She picked it up and headed up stairs. She pulled a small suitcase out from under her bed and she packed a few more clothes. She heard the front door close as she shut the suitcase and she picked it up and headed down the stairs.

'Max, Abi?' she heard Tanya call out. She didn't answer, walked to the front door and opened it. 'Lauren!' Tanya said 'Hello darling what are you doing home?'

'I just came to pack some more things, collect my post' she said to her mother

'Have you got time for coffee?' she asked her

'No not really' Lauren shook her head

'Please, I want to talk Lauren' Tanya said 'I haven't seen you for days.. please?' she asked her

'Okay fine but not here' Lauren said with a sigh 'I'll meet you in the café in 15 minutes'

'Good I'll be there' Tanya nodded 'My treat' she told her

Lauren left and took her case back to Tyler's and left it by the sofa. She glanced around at the flat, Tyler really was a slob, she would have to talk to him about that since she was sharing the flat with him, he'd have to start cleaning up after himself.

Lauren walked into the café and Lucy was behind the counter. 'Hello you. I haven't seen you for a few days' she said with a smile

'I've been away' she replied

'Yeah where did you go?' Lucy asked her

'I went to see Ant' Lauren lied

'Yeah how is he?'

''He's good' Lauren nodded 'Really good. Coming to visit soon' she replied 'can I have a coffee please Lucy?' she asked her

'Sure sit down I'll bring it over'

'Can I have cream cake too please?'

'Of course' she smiled at her

Lauren was picking at the cake when Tanya walked in, she ordered a coffee from Lucy and then sat down at Lauren's table. Lucy raised her eyes surprised.

'So how are you?' Tanya asked her 'I mean you look well, relaxed and refreshed' Tanya said 'The break away obviously did you good' she told her

'It was good' Lauren nodded

'How's Oscar?'

'Well he missed you, keeps asking us if Lolly's coming home soon' Lauren blinked and looked down. 'He missed you, we all do'

'You miss someone doing all the housework and running around' Lauren replied

'That's not true Lauren' Tanya frowned at her

'Really?' Lauren asked her 'I find that hard to believe'

'Look darling I didn't come here to fight' she told her 'I just want to know what's going on in my daughter's life. Is there a boy on the scene?' she asked her 'How are things at Tyler's? Cramped I guess. You know you can always move back in. You always have a place there darling'

Lauren sighed and she frowned 'You know what I don't want to move back in and I like it at Tyler's and you've never once shown any interest in my life before so why start now?' she frowned at her mother

'Lauren please I am trying here' Tanya replied 'Can't we try and be civil to each other?' she asked her daughter.

Lauren sighed 'Fine'

'Look why don't you come round for dinner tonight?' she asked her 'I'll cook your favourite'

'I can't I have plans'

'With who?'

'Joey' she replied

'Well invite Joey too. It'll be nice to see him again too, he's been away too'

'Yeah I know' Lauren said 'He went away with his girlfriend'

'I thought Alice said…' Tanya frowned and Lauren cut her mother off knowing that Lucy was in earshot

'He lied to Alice because he didn't want to answer 20 questions about his girlfriend' Lauren said 'You know what Alice is like'

Tanya nodded and took a sip of coffee as Lauren picked some more at her cake 'Yeah I suppose'

Lauren sighed 'Look. I got something for Oscar, maybe I can bring it round tomorrow' she said and she looked up at Tanya

'Yeah? Yeah he'd like that' she nodded 'I won't tell him, we'll make it a surprise'

'Okay' Lauren finished her coffee 'Look I'm really sorry I have things to do' she said as she stood up 'I'll see you tomorrow' Lauren told her

'I'm looking forward to it' Tanya nodded with a smile.

Lauren left the café and she went back to Tyler's and slumped down on the sofa, trying to remember which lies she had told to who.

**AN: Well let me know what you think of this chapter! Hope you are enjoying the story plenty more to come…. R&R and thank you so far for all your reviews …! **


	52. Chapter 52

Lauren had a nap on the sofa and got up and showered and changed her clothes, she grabbed her phone, keys and some money and headed for the Vic. She didn't have to meet Joey for a couple of hours but she needed a drink.

She brought a double vodka and coke and sat down at a table, she dialled Ant's number and they had a very long interesting conversation as she filled him on her life and the lies she had told. Ant agreed that he would cover for her when he came down this weekend and they had both come up with a convincing story.

Sharon and Jack came into the pub and Sharon joined Lauren as Jack brought the drinks

'Hello you' she said with a smile 'I hear that you had a nice break'

'Yeah we did' Lauren said nodding her head

'You seem about as pleased to be back as Joey does' Sharon said 'You know he's even making plans for the next time you two can go'

'He is?' she looked at her

'Yeah. I didn't say anything mind' she told her Lauren 'I'm glad that I've run into you actually. I was thinking about running a promotion on Valentine's Day and I need someone to come up with a theme for night and decorations for the club as well as flyer…. You interested?'

'Yeah of course' Lauren grinned at her 'Valentine's Day is three weeks away'

'Oh well you better make a start then. Can you have something ready for me by Friday?'

'Yeah I can work on it Thursday'

Jack brought the drinks over and he gave Lauren a kiss on the cheek 'Thank you' he said putting a drink down in front of her 'For all your hard work at Derek's funeral. You were a brilliant' he said

'Thanks. I just wanted to make things easier for Alice and Joey'

'Well I am sure that they both appreciated it' Jack replied 'I know I did and so did your dad'

Lauren sat with Jack and Sharon until Joey came in, he checked his watch and looked around the bar looking for her, smiling when he saw her.

'Well I am going to love you and leave you' Lauren said as she stood up 'Joey's buying me drinks for the rest of the evening'

'Abandoned for a younger model hey?' Jack teased her

'Well he is better to look at it' Lauren grinned

'Oi!' her uncle exclaimed loudly with a laugh.

Jack watched as the two cousins hugged and Joey kissed Lauren on her cheek 'Hey babe' he whispered in her ear.

'Hey' she replied 'What's with the hug?'

'Well we've both been away so it's a welcome back hug and I missed you' he replied, he let her go not wanting to hold on to her for longer than was acceptable for cousins. 'Drink?'

'Yes please vodka and coke' she told him 'I'll go find a table'

'Alright I'll come find you'

Lauren walked passed Jack and Sharon and round to the other side of the bar and chose the table in the corner. She played with a beermat as she waited for him.

A glass appeared in front of her 'Sorry, Just got caught by Jack' he told her as he shrugged his coat off, put it down between them and sat down beside her.

'Sharon offered me another job' Lauren told him 'Designing the theme for Valentine's day and club decorations and a flyer'

'Yeah that's great' he told her

'I'm going to work on it tomorrow night, glass of wine, a little music' she smiled

'So does that mean we're not seeing each other tomorrow night?' he picked up his beer and took a drink

'You'll be working' she said 'and its one night' she rolled her eyes. 'Oh you remember Ant's coming up Friday night?' she asked him 'So make sure you tell Alice to get her glad rags on we're all going clubbing'

'Maybe I should meet him first…'

'Joey. Just do what you're told please' Lauren told him firmly

'Okay I'll tell her' he said taking a sip of his beer 'When did you get so bossy' he muttered under his breath

'Do I need to remind you of my humiliation this morning?' she turned to face him, putting her hand down on his coat,

'No' he replied biting back a smile 'What time is the appointment again?' he asked her

'I can go on my own' she said to him 'You've already taken a lot of time off work and it's the results rather than the test itself that could be a concern'

'I told you that we would do this together and I meant it, every step of the way. And that includes me coming to all the appointments. So what time is it?'

'10:00am' she replied

'Do you want to meet at the hospital again?'

'Probably be easier' she nodded, Joey dropped his hand onto his coat and found her hand and took it in his.

They ordered some food and ate whilst she told him about the conversation that she had with her mother and Lucy and the lie that she found slipping out of her mouth about where she had been.

He brought it up again when they walked back to his at 9pm.

'You know that this is going to make it more difficult when we tell people?' he said

'Yeah I know but it came out before I could stop myself' she told him 'and then it was too late to take it back, Lucy would have been suspicious about why I lied and I had to lie to mum because Lucy could hear. I know it's a mess and I'm sorry' she said as he held the door open for her and she stepped inside.

'We'll figure it out' he told her. 'Alice you here?' he yelled out 'Kat?'

Hearing no reply he turned and looked at Lauren and grinned 'We're alone' he told her 'Maybe I should check out that hickey?'

'Joey is that you?' Alice called from upstairs

'Saved by the little sister. Unlucky' Lauren grinned back at him as Alice bounded down the stairs.

**AN: Thank you again for all the reviews they are much appreciated and keep me posting this story. Glad you are enjoying it. **


	53. Chapter 53

Lauren spent Thursday doing the sketches for Sharon and she took them to her after the appointment at the hospital, both Lauren and Joey were disappointed that they had to wait 2 weeks for the results but both decided that until they knew for certain that something was wrong that they would try not to worry about it. Sharon had loved the sketches and agreed to talk to Phil about the possibility of hiring Lauren to think up promotions and design the flyers and decorations for the night and she told she would let her know Monday.

Friday night Lauren was waiting in the Vic with all her friends except Joey, all eagerly waiting for Ant to arrive. Alice shifted nervously in her seat and Lauren nudged her 'Stop fidgeting' she told her 'you look fine, tell her Lucy' she shot a look at her friend

'Yeah you look great' Lucy said distractedly, she kept looking at the door every time the door opened and something told Lauren that it wasn't Ant that she was waiting to see. She sighed and got up and went to the bar. She was ordering herself a drink when she felt someone behind her.

'Well, well, well, If it isn't Lauren Branning' she heard Ant's voice behind her, she turned and squealed and threw herself into his arms. He laughed and he picked her up and spun her round

'Wow! What a welcome' Ant said 'bit over the top for someone you saw a few days ago though!' he smirked as he put her down.

'Shut up you idiot' Lauren slapped his arm lightly

'And the insults began. You never change' he grinned at her.

'I'll get you a drink' she told him and she hugged him again. 'It's really great to see you and Alice is here too, she got all pretty especially for you so be nice' she let him go and he made his way to the table. She brought the drinks and carried them over to the table, Lucy had shifted in her seat and was now sitting next to Alice and Joey was sitting next to Lucy, her footsteps faltered when she saw him and then she regained her composure and she carried the drinks over to the table. She put Ant's down on the table and looked around for a couple of chairs. She grabbed a stool and dragged it next to Joey. 'Hi' she said softly 'When did you get here?' she asked him taking a sip if her drink

'Right around the time he was spinning you round' he nodded towards Ant, more than a little jealous, his jaw twitched slightly and Lauren glanced at the others on the table and she put her hand on his knee and squeezed gently

'Do you a want a drink?' she asked him

'I'll get it' he said and he walked over to the bar. When he returned to the table he saw that Lauren had taken his seat next to Lucy and he smiled slightly at her display of jealousy.

'So this is Joey' Tyler said 'Tyler this is my bother Ant' he introduced them

'Ah you're the famous Joey' Ant said 'Alice talked about you all the time' he said and he smiled as the two shook hands 'And Lauren mentioned you a time a two this week. It's nice to finally out a face to a name'

'Yeah you too' Joey said nodding, he sat down on the stool next to Lauren and he watched Alice. She was blushing slightly every time Ant looked in her direction. He found that despite his reservations that he did actually like Ant and he joined in the conversations with ease, laughing and joking with everyone. Lauren got up to go to the bathroom Lucy moved along on the seat so that she was closer to Joey and no there was no room for Lauren. Ant, Tyler and Joey noticed.

Lauren came back from the bathroom and saw Lucy had moved again. She took a deep breath and she walked towards the table and she looked at Lucy 'Budge up Lucy' she said

'It's too squashed here' Lucy told her 'Go round to the other end'

'There's no room this end Lucy' Whitney told her with a frown. 'Just move up'

'No there's no room here either' Lucy replied. Lauren clenched her fists to stop herself from dragging Lucy from the seat by her hair, she turned to Joey

'Do you mind Joey?' she asked gesturing to his lap. His lips twitched as he fought back a smile at the look he imagined Lucy had on her face.

'No course not' he said as Lauren perched herself on his knee, she draped an arm around his shoulders and he put an arm around her waist.

'Lauren!' Lucy exclaimed 'He's your cousin!'

'Which would be a problem if I was naked and giving him a lap dance, which clearly I'm not' she told her. Tyler choked on his beer and Whitney had to hit him on the back until he stopped. 'I'm just sitting on his knee'

'Okay fine you can sit here' she shifted on the seat

'Oh no Lucy I wouldn't want you to be squashed and actually I'm comfortable here thanks' Lauren replied and she picked up her drink and turned her attention back to the conversation. She caught Whitney's eye, she was shaking her head at Lauren with an amused expression on her face. Lauren raised her eyebrows at her and grinned.

Lucy fumed silently on the seat shooting glares at Lauren behind her back. 'Okay so are we having another round here or are we moving onto the club?' Tyler asked

'Here' Alice, Ant, Joey and Whitney said

'Club' Fatboy, Lucy and Poppy said

'Tyler what do you want to do?' Whitney asked

'Move on to the club' he said

'Lauren you have the deciding vote' Whitney looked at her

'I think that those who want to move onto the club should go and those that want to have another drink here should stay and everyone can meet up again later at the club' Lauren told everyone.

'Good plan' Tyler nodded 'Ready guys?' he asked, Fatboy, Lucy and Poppy all got up

''Are you coming?' Lucy asked Lauren

'Nope I'm in the staying here for another group' she replied earning another murderous look from Lucy.

The five of them left and both Joey and Lauren were sorry when she got off his lap to sit on the seat, he made her shift up a bit so he could sit beside her.

'You are so wicked Lauren!' Whitney scolded her playfully as Ant and Joey went to get them more drinks

'Yeah well. I'm getting sick and tired of her mooning over Joey all the time and trying to do everything she can to get close to him.' She replied with a frown 'And Joey's getting annoyed with it too'

'Well why doesn't he just bring his girlfriend with us all one night?' Whitney asked 'Lucy can't do or say anything then can she? It might shut her up'

'I'm sorry have you met Lucy?' Lauren asked her with a frown.

'Yeah you're right' Whitney laughed 'The poor girl whoever she is. Lucy's going to be a complete bitch to her'

'Yes she is' Lauren said glancing at the bar at Joey.

**AN: Well Lucy doesn't seem to give up does she? What's going to happen at the club and how many of you actually wanted Lauren to drag Lucy off the seat by her hair! Yep me too but that would have put a bit of a kink in my story! **

**Back soon. Please R&R and to you all you guest reviewers that I can't reply to – thanks for reading keep enjoying and keep reviewing! **

'


	54. Chapter 54

The five friends walked into the club and headed towards the bar. Ant and Alice were already getting on really well and whilst Lauren was pleased Joey was indifferent. He liked Ant but Alice was his little sister and he was protective of her. Overly protective Lauren had once told him, he frowned as he thought about it; he so was lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Lauren talking to him, she touched his hand gently

'What's wrong?' she asked him concern etched on her face

He shook his head and he smiled 'Nothing I was miles away' he told her 'Just worrying about Alice'

'Relax babe, Alice is perfectly safe with Ant' she told him firmly 'Trust me he won't hurt her'

'I do trust you and he better not or he'll have me to answer to' he replied,

'You'll have to wait until I'm done with him' Lauren replied

Joey laughed and he picked up his drink and they walked through the club looking for the others.

'Can we just pretend that we don't see them waving like maniacs?' Lauren asked Joey 'Find a table of our own in a dark secluded private corner?'

'As much as I would love to say yes to that babe, I think they know that we've seen them' he told her softly

'Damn it' she said, he put his hand on the small of her back as he led her towards them.

'There's a seat here Joey' Lucy smiled at him

'You take that one, I want to sit closer to Alice' he told her and he moved round the group to sit at the other side of the table

Lauren nodded and took the seat next to Lucy 'I saved this for Joey' Lucy hissed at her

'And he gave it to me he wants to keep an eye on his sister' Lauren replied taking a long drink of her ice cold coke. Lucy scowled and turned in her seat so that Lauren faced her back, which if Lauren was honest was fine with her. Lucy did however steer the conversation away from Lauren so she wasn't included.

After Lauren had finished her drink she got up and walked over to the bar and sat down on a stool and began to have a conversation with the new barman Eddie. They hit it off straight away and they were both laughing and joking with each other in between Eddie having to serve people. Whitney noticed she was missing a while later and frowned

'Where's Lauren?' she looked around at the table and then the club. 'Lucy, where's Lauren?'

Lucy shrugged 'I don't know I'm not her keeper'

Whitney went to check the toilets and when she came back she was worried 'Well she wouldn't have just left without saying anything to anyone'

'Well then maybe she hasn't left' Lucy said 'She's probably hooked up with a random guy. You know what she's like. That's one of the reasons Peter broke up with her, she couldn't keep her knickers on around other blokes' Lucy grinned not realising that Lauren had come back over with a drink

'What did you say?' Lauren asked her, Lucy turned to look at Lauren

'Nothing I was messing around' Lucy waved her hand dismissively

'No you weren't Lucy' Whitney frowned

'I've got this Whit' Lauren said and she put her drink down on the table 'I asked you a question Lucy' Lauren said, Lucy looked at her and she swallowed 'What did you say?' she repeated 'what too much of a coward to say it to my face?' she asked her 'Come on Lucy I'm waiting!' she raised her voice. Lucy shrunk lower in her seat 'Yeah that's what I thought. For your information I broke up with Peter because he was cheating on me with Zsa Zsa and the only person here who has problems keeping her knickers on is you, especially when it comes to other people's boyfriends' she spat at her angrily.

Whitney rushed over to Tyler 'You have to stop Lauren. She and Lucy are having a fight'

'They always have fights' Tyler said 'It'll blow over'

'Tyler now' Whitney said, he turned at the urgent tone in his girlfriend's voice and he tapped Joey on the shoulder as he stood up,

'What's up?'

'Lauren and Lucy' Tyler replied.

'At least I'm not following around my cousin like a little lost puppy dog' Lucy retorted

'Well actually Lucy you are, my cousin, Joey? Ring any bells?' she asked her as she leant on the table getting her face as close to Lucy as she could 'HE'S NOT INTERESTED IN YOU LUCY!' she yelled in her face 'WHY AREN'T YOU GETTING THE MESSAGE?'

Joey and Tyler followed by Whitney came over to us 'Okay girls why don't we calm down hey? Lauren come and get a drink with me at the bar' Tyler said and he took Lauren's arm and tried to lead her away from the table, she yanked her arm free as Lucy stood up suddenly feeling brave now that Joey was there

'You mean like Ryan wasn't interested in you?' Lucy said 'I mean he got into my bed quick enough. He said you were a frigid bitch'

'Lucy!' Whitney exclaimed she looked at Lauren for her reaction, Lauren just smiled at her

'Funny that, that's exactly what Ryan said about you when he begged me to take him back, he said sex with you was like fucking a rock, unresponsive, pointless and totally unsatisfying'

Lauren come on let's go have a dance hey?' Whitney tried to pull her away from Lucy, Lucy stood up.

'Come on Lauren' Joey said softly, he took her wrist in his hand 'Lets go for a walk hey?' Lauren turned to look at him and she nodded

'Yeah that's right walk away' Lucy said 'I always knew you were all mouth no action' she shouted at her as Joey started to lead her away.

'Lauren don't do anything you're going to regret' Joey said as he felt her stop walking and stiffen beside him.

She spun round and marched back over to Lucy stopping inches away from her 'Alright come on then Luce, you want hit me, then hit me, I dare you' Lauren said to her, Lucy cowered and took a couple of steps back. 'Yeah that's what I thought' Lauren said 'Squealy Bealey just your old man' Lauren picked up her drink and turned and walked back to Joey and he led her to another part of the club out of sight of the others.

'What the hell was that about?' he asked her

She's been pushing my buttons all night' Lauren told him with a frown 'and then she's mouthing off behind my back and hasn't got the guts to say it to my face' she told him 'She's been moody since the pub'

'Look ignore her babe' Joey said and he tucked her hair behind her ear 'She's not worth it' he told her

'I can't help it, she just winds me up'

'Come here' he said and he pulled her towards him and into his arms. 'Why don't you come and sit with me at the other end of the table?' he asked me 'And if you are very lucky I may even let you stay over at my place tonight, I'm kind of interested in that naked lap dance you promised me'

Lauren laughed 'Okay fine. But if Lucy even looks at me I'm gonna punch her in the face'

'Noted' Joey said he pulled her away so he could look at her and he smiled 'Come on' he said. He took her hand and he led her back over the table and round to his end. She took a seat next to Ant and Joey sat beside her. Soon they were all laughing and joking together, Lucy glared at them and got up and left the club.

**AN: Okay so Lucy didn't get bitch slapped….yet. **

**Keep reading for more excitement in the lives of Joey, Lauren, Whitney and co. **

**R&R as always and enjoy. **


	55. Chapter 55

As the night went on the friends all had a good time, especially now that Lucy wasn't around. Alice announced that she had enough of clubbing and wanted to go home and invited Ant round for a coffee, he was quick to accept the invitation. Alice had then invited Lauren too and Joey was pleased that at least Alice and Ant wouldn't be alone together. The four of them said goodnight to everyone else and they left the club, Alice and Ant walked on ahead and Lauren smiled as Ant took Alice's hand in his; she nudged Joey and grinned, he rolled his eyes at her, and put his hands in his pockets, she slipped her arm through his

'Look! He still likes her as much as she likes him' Lauren said softly

'Yeah that's what I was afraid of' Joey said 'He is not staying the night!'

'Not everyone has the same expectations that you do' she replied

'Hey!' he exclaimed loudly a little offended by her remark. Alice and Ant turned to look at them both. 'That's a little uncalled for' he lowered his voice.

'I'm just saying that most people like to try to get to know the other person first before they leap into bed with them and find out they're bunny boiling freaks' she replied

Joey glanced at her knowing that the subtext if the conversation was Lucy. 'Good point' he conceded. He took a breath and licked his lips, 'So… that exactly were you and Lucy fighting about?'

'You know what I really don't want to waste on more of my night discussing Lucy' she snapped at him and she took her arm out of his and she skipped forward and slipped her arm through Alice's.

They reached the house and Alice took out her keys and unlocked the door. Lauren lingered on the doorstep as Joey reached them.

'Lauren are you coming in?' Alice asked her

'I don't Alice, I'm kind of tired' she said softly

'Oh please just one coffee and then Joey will walk you home'

'I don't need Joey to walk me home, Its only a 10 minute walk that I am more than capable of walking by myself'

'Come on Lauren, we've hardly spoken all night' Ant said 'One coffee isn't going to kill you. Might even perk you up a bit' he told her

'When have you ever known me to be perky?'

'Pretty please? Please please please' Alice begged her

Okay fine one coffee' Lauren said 'and then I am going home' she insisted

Joey followed her in and shut the door behind them.

Alice led them into the lounge, Alice say down on the sofa and Joey plonked himself down next to her, leaving Ant and Lauren looking at the chairs.

'Right Joey you can help me make the coffee' Lauren said to him

'Oh I've just sat down' he complained

'Well get up then' she said, he looked at her and he sighed and he stood up and followed Lauren out of the room and made his way to the kitchen 'We'll be back in a few minutes' she told Alice and Ant as she pulled the lounge door shut behind her. She went into the kitchen 'Why are you so set on ruining Alice's happiness. You can see how she is with Ant.' She frowned at him 'She likes him'

'I barely know him, I only met him tonight' Joey replied as he filled the kettle.

'Alice knows him, I know him, he's Tyler's brother for God's sake. Do you want Alice to be miserable forever?' Lauren hissed in a low voice so that the others didn't hear them. 'She's not even mentioned Derek's name once tonight or haven't you noticed that?'

'Yeah I've noticed' he said as Lauren reached for the cups and lined them up on the table. 'What's that got to do with anything?'

'It's because of Ant. She's been excited all day, she changed her outfit like thirty times' Lauren told him and he looked at her 'I can't believe that you would be selfish and not want to see your sister happy'

'Of course I want to see her happy. I just don't want to see her get hurt that's all' he frowned at her 'Why are you so mad at me?'

She ignored his question and continued to vent at him 'Sitting down next to Alice on the sofa so Ant would have to sit on the chair, watching her every move in the club' she moved to another cupboard and pulled out some coffee and sugar 'You're smothering her' the coffee and sugar joined the cups on the table and she walked towards the fridge and grabbed the milk.

'So how about you tell me what's really bothering you?' Joey asked her softly, she blinked

'There's nothing bothering me' she told him 'It just bothers me how you react when a guy shows interest in your sister'

'All right, I'll make a deal with you. I will cut Alice and Ant some slack if you tell me the truth about what's got you so pissed off at me all of a sudden' he told her

'I'm not pissed off with you' she said with a sigh

'Could have fooled me' he replied as he picked up the kettle. He put it on the table and he made the coffee. Lauren put the cups on a tray and Joey picked them up and took them into the lounge. Lauren ran her fingers through her hair with a frustrated grunt and then joined the others in the lounge.

Ant and Alice were sitting on the sofa and Joey was sitting in the arm chair, the only place left to sit was on the floor or on the arm of Joey's chair,

'Joey let Lauren sit there' Alice scolded him 'Don't make her sit on the floor'

'Its fine Alice' Lauren shook her head, 'I'll perch on the arm' she replied.

As they talked Joey draped his arm over the arm of the chair and he rubbed Lauren's back, she tensed at first but then after he persisted he relaxed into it.

'How about another coffee?' Joey asked Ant and Alice

'I could drink another' Ant said and then he looked at Alice 'If it's not too late…'

'No no it's fine' she smiled at him 'I'll make it' she started to stand up

'We'll do it' Joey said 'we've tasted your coffee' he teased her and then he looked at her 'Give me a hand?' he asked her as he collected the cups up.

Lauren nodded and followed him into the kitchen. He refilled the kettle and put it onto boil and he put the dirty cups into the sink and got out four clean ones.

'I'm sorry' Lauren said softly walking up behind him and running her hands over his back up to his shoulders, he turned around and put his hands on her waist and dragged her closer to him. 'I'm not angry with you, I'm angry with Lucy' she told him as she circled her arms around his neck 'She can be such a bitch when she doesn't get her own way' she told him 'I'm sorry I took it out on you'

'Its okay' he told her 'Look don't let Lucy get to you okay? She can flirt all she likes but its not going to change the fact that you are my girlfriend' Lauren smiled at him and he cupped her cheek in his hand and he kissed her softly, intending the kiss to be brief, but the fact that they really hadn't had any time alone together since they got back from Brighton, their need and desire for each other took over, forgetting that Alice and Ant were only in the next room Joey deepened the kiss with a moan, picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he turned and sat her on the work surface behind him. 'Stay the night' he murmured against her lips

'I can't' she replied softly

'Please babe I need you' he broke the kiss and moved his lips to her throat, she tilted her head back and he moved one hand up under her top to cup her satin covered breast 'I need you so badly' he whispered as he scraped his teeth over her throat 'Stay the night with me' he asked her again

'Joey, I can't' she groaned as she felt her arousal grow 'Alice is still here and ….oh god!...'she gasped as his thumb brushed over her nipple

'Stay..' he whispered again trailing kisses along her throat and jaw and then finding her mouth again.

They were both so wrapped up in each other that they didn't hear the kitchen door open and someone step into the room.

**AN: Is their secret finally out? What happens next? Back soon!**

**Thank you for all your lovely kind words I am so glad that you are enjoying this story. Here's hoping that you continue to do so. **

**Thanks and as always R&R **


	56. Chapter 56

'Ahem' Ant cleared his throat and Joey leapt away from Lauren and she jumped down from the work surface.

'Alice was just wondering why the coffee was taking so long' he said and he looked at both of them. Lauren was blushing and looking at the floor, whereas Joey stood with his arms folded across his chest. Ant was certain if he lowered his gaze he would see a very prominent bulge in Joey's pants but he refrained from looking. 'I'll tell her that it's….. okay' Ant cleared his throat and he walked out of the kitchen.

Lauren walked to the kettle and turned it on to boil again, she turned to look at Joey

'That could have been Alice' Lauren said to him

'Yeah I know but it wasn't' he said and he took her hand and pulled her towards him. 'Stay the night with me please. I miss you' he said softly 'and I'm really horny' he added as he stole a kiss.

'How?' Alice will know it's me'

'Leave it to me' he smiled at her. 'I'll work it out'

Lauren finished making the coffee and Joey picked up the tray and carried it through to the lounge. Lauren excused herself to use the bathroom and when she returned Joey smiled at her as she perched herself on the arm of his chair again. She drank her coffee quickly and then stood up.

'Well I am going to call it a night guys' she told them all.

'I'll walk you' Ant said and he stood up too 'it is getting late' he looked at Alice 'but I will see you tomorrow for lunch at the Vic?'

'1:00pm' she replied nodding and grinning

'Good' Ant smiled back and he bent down and he kissed Alice on the cheek 'I look forward to it' he turned to Joey 'It's been nice to meet you' said again, the two boys shook hands. 'Maybe we can go for a drink sometime?'

'Yeah I'd like that' Joey said nodding 'I'll see you out' he said and he stood up and he led us to the door and he opened it, Ant stepped out first and Joey caught Lauren's hand as she walked passed him 'I'll see you later I hope?' he asked her quietly. 'I'll text you the all clear when Alice is in bed'

'Maybe' Lauren replied softly. 'Bye Alice!' she called out. Joey watched them leave and he closed the door and leant up against it with a sigh.

When he went back into the lounge, Alice was collecting the cups up 'I'll do those why don't you go to bed you must be exhausted' he told her

'I am pretty tired but I don't think I'm going sleep much' she said grinning at Joey 'I'd forgotten how funny Ant was'

'Yeah he's a laugh' Joey replied

'I thought that he and Lauren were going to get together. They were pretty close and she's been to visit him a few times since he left' she told Joey 'You should ring your girlfriend out next time' she told him as she made her way up the stairs. 'I can't wait to meet her'

'You already have' Joey said under his breath. When he heard Alice's bedroom door close, he pulled out his phone and sent Lauren a text.

"_**Alice has gone to bed, come round to the back door. Half an hour. Jxx" **_

Lauren pulled out her phone and looked at it 'Joey?' Ant asked her and she nodded

'Yeah' she replied

'How do you it? I mean the sneaking around and hiding, lying to everyone?' he asked her as they walked through the square to the gardens.

'It's not easy' Lauren said with a sigh

'So why don't you tell everyone that you are together?'

'It's not as simple as that is it Ant?' she asked him 'He's my cousin' Lauren told him 'His dad has just died, it's not the best time to tell everyone that we're together, not so soon after the funeral'

'So you're just going to wait and get more and more pissed off with Lucy for flirting with him?'

'Yeah probably. We have to be careful when we tell people, we know it's not exactly a conventional relationship and that everyone isn't going to understand, maybe no one will' she said 'We have to tall our family first and since I'm not exactly on speaking terms with my parents there's not really much we can do' she replied.

'You could try talking to them' he replied

'Thanks for stating the obvious' Lauren pulled a face at him

'That's attractive' he told her with her a grin

'So tell me how the date went? You and Alice?'

Ant grinned 'She's amazing' he told her

'Yeah she is'

'I'm not sure Joey approves though'

'Leave Joey to me, he'll come round' she grinned at him.

Lauren looked at her phone again and she typed a quick reply and put her phone in her pocket. 'Well I seem to have walked you home' Lauren said as she looked up at the B&B. 'I'm glad you're here' she said and she hugged him tightly 'You'll have time for me right.. you won't be spending all your time with Alice'

'Tomorrow night. I'll take you out to dinner' he told her 'Just you and me okay?'

'Okay' she nodded

'Night Lolly' he used the nickname Oscar had given her and she slapped him lightly on the arm

'Night' she replied.

She walked back towards Joey's and looked at the house with a sigh and then turned and went to Tylers. .

**AN: Are Lauren and Joey ever going to tell anyone about their relationship? Or is Joey secretly pleased that no one knows, liking the sneaking around and the attention from Lucy? Is he going to stray? Is Lauren going to like being the "secret" girlfriend? **

**Thank you all for the reviews they make me smile and continue to publish. **

**R&R as always and enjoy. **


	57. Chapter 57

Lauren was lying on the sofa still in her pyjamas at 11:30 when she heard the door buzzer. She got up and picked up the phone next to the door and pressed the buzzer, opened the door to the flat and went back to the sofa and climbed under the duvet.

She heard footsteps on the stairs and the door closing as someone came into the flat.

'You not up yet?' she heard Joey ask her

'You're observant' she replied.

'Someone's grumpy today' Joey said and he walked to the sofa and nudged her legs 'Come on get up'

'Why?' she asked him

'So I can buy you lunch'

'I'm not hungry Joey' she told him pulling the duvet more tightly around her. 'Go away'

He frowned at her 'What's wrong?' he asked her when she didn't reply he crouched down next to her 'Hey babe. What is it?' he pulled the duvet away from her face. She looked up at him.

'It's just something Ant said last night' she told him 'It got me thinking'

'And what was that?' he asked her

She closed her eyes briefly and then sat up pulling her legs up 'You do want to tell people about us don't you?' she asked him

'Yeah of course I do' he told her

'What did Ant say that I didn't?' Joey frowned

'No, he didn't say that, I was just …. I don't know' she trailed off 'I know that I have to sort things out with mum and dad but its not as though they've been knocking down the door to talk to me either is it?' she asked him

'Come on get up get in the shower and get dressed' he told her

Why where are we going?' she asked him

'Do as you're told and you'll find out' he told her. Lauren sighed but got up. When he heard the bathroom door close he picked up the phone and dialled a number.

Half an hour later they were on the way to the Vic, they went inside and Joey brought them both a drink and they sat down at a table. 'So what are you doing tonight?' he asked her

'Ant's taking me to dinner and after that nothing why?'

'I thought maybe you would like to come and keep me company at the club?' he asked her

'You'll be working and it'll be busy. I'll be sitting there on my own' she told him 'Like a sad old loser'

'So that's a no then?' he asked her

'Because afterwards I thought that maybe you could come back to mine?' he asked her

'Joey, we talked about that last night' she said to him

'Yes I know and you were right Alice would probably have caught us. But tomorrow morning Alice goes to a Yoga class at 9:00am and Kat takes Tommy to the park at 10:00am so we can get up after they go and when they come back they'll be none the wiser' he said to her

'I don't know Joey' she said 'It's too risky… if we get caught..'

'Then we'll just have to be careful won't we?' he asked her

'I don't know Joey' she repeated.

Joey nodded and he looked down 'So you don't want to be with me now?'

'That's not fair Joey' Lauren told him with a frown 'you know I do….Ant walked in on us last night and it could quite easily have been Alice.

'So then we tell Alice' Joey said 'If that's what's stopping you from staying over'

'If we tell Alice we have to tell Kat' Lauren said 'You know how gossip spreads around here Joey, mum and dad will find out before we even have the chance to tell them ourselves….'

'Okay, okay' he said and he looked at her and he sighed

'I'm sorry' she said 'I know it sounds like I'm making excuses, I do want to be with you Joey' she told him, she reached across the table to take his hand and then she remembered where she was, she took her hand off the table and put it on her lap 'sorry' she said again

'Look come back to mine after lunch and we'll talk okay?' he asked her and she looked at him and she nodded

'Okay' she gave him a small smile

'Oh.. here they are' he said as the Vic door opened, she frowned and followed his gaze and saw her parents walking over to them.

'Joey?' lauren questioned him

'I thought that maybe we could all have lunch together' he told her 'Make a start at mending bridges, one step closer to telling them about us?' he said to her 'Max, Tanya, glad you could make it'

'We were thrilled to be invited' Tanya said and she looked at Lauren 'Hello darling' she said as she sat down.

'Hi' Lauren replied

Max looked at her 'Lauren I am so sorry. I know that I should have come and found you and told you that sooner, like your mother said I've got a stubborn streak a mile long me' he told her 'One of things you've inherited from me' he said 'We miss you at home. But we understand if you don't want to come back, but the door's always open if you want to. It's still your house' he said to her

'Thanks dad' Lauren replied softly

'So how are you liking living at Tyler's?' he asked her

'I's okay' she shrugged 'Sofa's pretty comfortable' she told them and she looked up at Joey and he winked at her, she smiled at him 'Not as comfortable as yours though' she added.

'Any luck on the job front?' Tanya asked her

'No. well I mean Sharon's got me designing leaflets for club nights, promotions and things' she told her

'There's a job at Booty's if you want it' Tanya said to her 'Running the reception. A few mornings a week if you're interested'

'I have college' Lauren sounded surprised

'Yeah I know, we can work your hours around your other commitments' she told her 'If you're interested?'

Lauren nodded 'Yeah maybe, thanks' she said.

'Shall we order?' Joey asked

After they'd eaten Lauren and Joey headed back to Joey's, they went inside and she shrugged off her coat and she hung it up on the coat rack as Joey went into the kitchen to get some drinks. He sat down on the sofa next to Lauren 'So how much trouble am I in?' he asked her

'I haven't decided yet' she told him with a smile. 'Why didn't you tell me what you planned?'

'Because you wouldn't have agreed' he told her 'and you have to admit that went better than you thought it would'

'Yeah it did' she said 'Thank you'

'So does that mean that I am not in the dog house?' he asked her

'Yes' she nodded 'and I'll think about coming to the club tonight after dinner with Ant' she told him

'Good' he said 'You being there will my night will be much brighter' he told her with a smile. 'Bet you're glad that you got up now aren't you hey?' he asked her nudging her with his elbow. She nodded and she moved forward and kissed him softly.

'I love you Joseph Branning' she told him

'Good. Because I love you too' he told her.

**AN: So will Lauren decide to spend the night at Joey's. **

**Is he relationship with her parents going to be repaired?**

**Read and find out and as always R&R**


	58. Chapter 58

Joey and Lauren were snuggled up together on the sofa watching a movie when the front door slammed shut. Joey leapt up off the sofa

'Alice?' she called put as she ran up the stairs he frowned 'Al?'

'I'll go' Lauren said and she squeezed his arm as she walked passed him, she climbed the stairs and knocked on Alice's door

'Go away Joey!' she called out

'Its me' Lauren called back through the door. She heard footsteps across the floor and the door opened and a tear stained face appeared in the door way 'Alice what's wrong? What happened?' she asked her and she licked her lips

'Ant said that he wants to be friends' she told her

'When you had lunch with him? Alice that was hours ago, where have you been?'

'I went for a walk in the park, lost track of time' Alice said 'I just didn't want to face Joey and hear him say 'I told you so'

'Can I come in?' Lauren asked her and Alice let her in and they walked to the bed and sat down 'What did he say exactly?'

'I tried to kiss him and he said that he just wanted to be friends' she told Lauren 'He was nice about it but I humiliated myself' she told her as tears rolled down her face

''Hey no I am sure that's not true' Lauren said 'He likes you Alice. You know he does. He probably wants to get you know again' she told him

'Do you think so?' she looked at Lauren hopefully

'Maybe yeah' she told her and she put her arm around her cousin. 'I know that you like him and that before he left things were going really well between you two' she said 'Maybe you just need to show him what a huge mistake he'd be making if he walked away again' Laure told her

'How?'

'Flirt with another guy right in front of him'

'I'm not good at flirting' she replied

Yes you are Alice, you just don't see it' Laure said 'Come on, dry your eyes and come down stairs and watch movies with me and Joey'

'No I'm going to stay here for a while' she said and she sighed 'But thanks'

Lauren sighed 'Okay well you know where I am if you need me. And you I are going out tonight to the club. It'll be heaving with guys so you can have your pick' Lauren told her 'Practice your flirting skills'

'I don't know if I want to go out again tonight' Alice said

'It's Saturday night Alice, live a little. You never know the man of your dreams could walk through the doors of the club tonight' Lauren grinned at her

'I'll think about it'

'I'll pick you up at 8pm' Lauren told her and she shut the door and went back downstairs

'What was that about?' he looked up at her as she walked into the room

'I'm not really sure' Lauren said with a frown 'Something happened at lunch. Anyway Alice and I will be at the club tonight' she told him, she walked back into the hallway and got her coat.

'Are you leaving?'

'Yeah, I need to get ready to go out' Lauren told him 'I'm having dinner with Ant tonight'

'Even after he's upset Alice?'

'I'll talk to him find out what's going on. Leave her alone for a bit hey?' she replied 'Anyway I better go, I'll see you later tonight at the club' she told him and she glanced up the stairs and she reached forward and gave him a quick kiss goodbye.

Joey looked at the stairs and wondered if he should go and talk to Alice, he knew Lauren had asked him not to, but he wanted to know what had happened over lunch. He frowned and sighed and decided to leave her alone until she came to him.

Lauren arrived to pick Alice up at 8:00pm and she marched her back up to her room and made her change her clothes from a flowery dress to a short skirt and low fitting red top. She applied more makeup and styled her hair and then once Lauren was satisfied nearly an hour later they headed to R&R.

Alice grinned as she got a few wolf whistles as they jumped the queue to go in ahead of everyone else. 'See' Lauren told her 'You look sexy. Hot' she said with a smile as they descended the stairs and then walked towards the bar. 'I can't wait to see Joey's face!' Lauren grinned at her. They waited at the bar for drinks and Joey came over to serve them having spotted Lauren

'I thought you were never going to get here babe' Joey said to her with a smile. 'I thought you were bringing Alice?' he added with a frown

'Hi Joey' Alice said and he glanced at her and then did a double take.

'Alice?' he exclaimed

'Lauren gave me a makeover' she told him and she did a little spin for him 'Do you like?'

'What… why… when …why?' Joey spluttered 'Alice… what was wrong with the way you looked?'

Alice's face fell 'Don't you like it?' she asked him

'It makes you look older than you are' Joey said with a frown 'you never wear that much make up, and that skirt is really short. Shorter than your usual, and that top is a little low cut Alice''

'Lauren's is cut lower' Alice shot back

Joey's eyes shifted to Lauren and dropped down to her nicely displayed cleavage, he stared for a moment longer than he should 'Well Laurens older than you' he tore his gaze away from Lauren

'Only by a year'

'Nearly two' Joey replied matter of factly 'You look

'Alice why don't you find a table and I will bring the drinks over' Lauren said. Alice nodded and when she was out of earshot Lauren turned to Joey 'Would it have killed you to tell her that she looked hot?' she admonished him

'She's my sister!' he stated

'Yes and she looks hot' Lauren said 'Look at her, look at all the attention that she's getting, look how happy she is' she turned back to look at her cousin 'Look how much confidence she's got now' she said and she turned back to look at her boyfriend

'Yeah it's the attention that I'm worried about' he said and he looked at Alice and then at his girlfriend 'I don't want her to just end up having sex with just any guy that shows her the slightest bit of attention. She's not like you Lauren?' he said looking back at his sister and the gathering of males around her, he didn't see the flash of hurt that crossed her face

Lauren blinked and frowned at him 'What's that supposed to mean?' Joey's attention turned back to his girlfriend hearing the angry tone in her voice, he thought about what he said and the colour drained from his face,

'No Lauren I didn't mean it that way I….'

'You know what forget it' she snapped 'I'll have a double vodka and coke and a double gin and tonic' she said to him, pulling some money out of her pocket and tossing it down on the bar 'You can bring them over' she turned to leave and then turned back to Joey 'and if you think you're having sex with me anytime soon, if ever again then you are very much mistaken' she told him and she turned and joined Alice.

'Crap! Nice one Joey!' he muttered told himself.

**AN: Uh-oh Joey's put his foot in it with Lauren. Will he be able to talk himself out of this hole and if he does will she forgive him?**

**Will Ant be affected by the new look Alice? **

**Thank you for all your reviews, I read them all and reply to everyone who I can. Thank you guest reviewers I can't reply to you individually so I will thank you here.**

**Please continue to enjoy and as always R&R**


	59. Chapter 59

Alice and Lauren were on their fourth drink of the night and they currently had 6 guys sitting at their table. Joey kept his eye on both of them, feeling increasingly anxious by the second at the attention his little sister was getting and increasingly jealous at the attention his girlfriend was getting, and increasingly angry that she seemed to be encouraging their attention.

It took all his willpower not to vault over the bar to start a fight when one of them draped their arm around Lauren's shoulders. And when she got up to dance with him, it was only the fact that Sharon had walked in that stopped him from punching the guy in the face and dragging Lauren off the dance floor like a caveman.

Alice went over to get a drink, 'I'm glad Lauren persuaded me to come out tonight. I am having a really good time' she told her brother with a smile 'Can I have 2 more drinks please?' she asked him

'Sure' he glanced at her and the looked back at Lauren. She had disappeared, he frowned, the guy she was with was back at the table and he gave a small sigh of relief.

'Joey? The drinks?' Alice asked him again.

'Er yeah sure Al' he said and he turned away to get them for her and placed them on the bar in front of her, he saw Lauren come out of the bathroom and start to make her way to the bar, the guy she was dancing with grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down to sit on his lap taking her by surprise. She quickly got off shaking her head and she turned to walk away, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back towards him, standing as he did so, Joey frowned as Lauren leant forward as if she was going to kiss him, he watched as Lauren turned her head at the last minute and said something in his ear, he raised his eyes and they met Joey's, he stared at him for a few moements before her let her go. Lauren turned and she walked over to the bar and picked up her drink and took a sip

'Everything okay?' Alice asked her

'Yeah everything's fine' she told her with a smile and she looked at the door as Ant and Tyler walked in and she smiled 'Don't look now Alice but Ant's just walked in with Tyler' she turned back to her and grinned at her 'I bet he's just caught sight of you and he's on his way over' she said to her.

'Hello ladies' Tyler said as he came over 'Joey'

'All right mate?' Joey replied 'What can I get you?'

'Two beers please' Tyler replied and he nudged Lauren 'What about you do you want one?'

Lauren grinned and nodded 'Yes please'

'I think you've had enough' Joey said softly

Lauren looked at him 'You're not paid to think Joey' Lauren said coldly 'you're paid to serve to drinks, and since I don't feel anywhere the near the buzz I would expect to feel after having 4 vodka and cokes I would say that last three you've served lacked alcohol, so no I don't think I've had enough'

Tyler looked between the two of them and threw Joey a puzzled look, Lauren looked at Ant and he caught her gaze

'Hey you look amazing' he said to Lauren

'Thanks' she smiled at him

'New outfit?'

'No I've had this for ages' Lauren said 'just haven't worn it much' she shrugged

Alice frowned as she saw the interaction between the two 'Shall we get a table' Ant asked

'Yeah Alice are you coming?' Lauren asked her

'I'll help Tyler with the drinks' she said

Joey put two beers on the bar and he picked up another glass and picked up the vodka and debated about whether or not to put any in, he sighed and he poured in a double and filled the glass with coke. He put the finished order on the table and Alice picked up hers and Lauren's drink and walked over to the table and sat down.

'Everything okay with you two?' Tyler asked him

'No not really' Joey said

'Anything I can do?' Tyler asked him. Joey looked up at him and shook his head

'I can handle problems that I have with my girlfriend by myself thank you' Joey snapped at him.

Tyler picked up the beers and joined the others. 'One beer' he said to Ant 'Wow Alice look at you' he said and he grinned 'You look stunning' he said

'Thank you' Alice said with a blush 'Lauren helped' she told him

'I just enhanced what was already there' she replied and she looked at Ant 'She looks hot right?'

Ant looked at her and he nodded 'Yeah you do' he said and he smiled at her 'Lauren's done a pretty good job' he looked at Lauren 'you should do make overs for people for a living'

'Yeah I'm not sure that pays very much money' she replied

'Oh I meant to tell you, there's a job that's come up in the firm that I work in.' he said and he pulled a paper out of his pocket and he handed it to her 'It's a junior graphic design post, £18K a year with bonuses, I took the liberty of telling my boss about you and she's expecting your call'

'What really?' she looked up at him in surprise 'Thanks Ant' she said and she looked down at the paper, she folded it and put it in her bag.

Lauren persuaded Ant to dance with Alice and Tyler looked at her 'So I'm guessing you and Joey have had a fight?' he asked her

'What makes you say that?' Lauren asked as she finished her drink

'The way that you spoke to him, the way he snapped at me. So what did he do?' he asked her

'I'm going to get another drink' she told him and she got up with her glass.

Sharon was serving behind the bar when she got there, 'Hello Lauren what can I get you?' she asked her

'Where's Joey?'

'He's on a break, usually goes out back or he goes out for some fresh air' Sharon said

'Oh' Lauren blinked 'Can I have a coke then please?'

'Sure' Sharon nodded 'I think Joey's in the back if you want to go and see him'

'No it's okay' she said 'Thanks' she paid for her drink and as she turned she saw Alice coming over to her. 'Hey Al, what's up?'

'I'm going home' she told her 'I just came to tell Joey'

'He's on a break apparently'

'Oh well when he comes back can you tell him?'

'Alice what's wrong?' Lauren frowned at her

'Nothing I just want to go home' she shook her head

'I'll walk you'

'I don't want you to walk me home' Alice snapped at her 'I don't want you to do anything for me anymore Lauren' she turned and walked away

'Alice?!' Lauren frowned calling after 'Alice….!'

**AN: So why is Alice all of a sudden upset with Lauren? **

**Well you'll have to wait and see! Although I think some of you have already guessed! **

**R&R as always and keep reading and keep enjoying**


	60. Chapter 60

Lauren put her drink down on the bar and followed Alice out of the club and back to her house.

'Go away Lauren I don't want to talk to you'

'Alice please tell me what's wrong?' Lauren pleaded with her 'What happened at the club, I thought you were having a good time'

'Go away Lauren!' Alice tried to shut the door but Lauren pushed against it and overpowered Alice and forced her way in.

'No Alice not until you tell me what's wrong' Lauren frowned at her

'As if you didn't know' she said going through to the kitchen, Lauren followed her

'I don't know'

'You are really going to stand there and look me in the eye and tell me that you have no idea what I am talking about?' Alice glared at her

'I am completely clueless Alice'

''It's you' she said

'Lauren frowned in confusion 'what's me?' she asked her

'The reason that Ant just wants to be friends with me' Alice said 'It's because of you' she frowned at her 'He's in love with you' she said

'No he isn't' Lauren shook her head laughing at Alice 'you've got your wires crossed Alice'

'Have I?' she looked surprised 'I saw the way he was looking at you, the way he was flirting with you. Thy way he asked you to dance and you coerced him into dancing with me'

'No Alice you've got this all wrong. 'Lauren told her 'I'm sure that Ant doesn't have feelings for me and even if he does, I'm not interested in him that way; Lauren looked at Alice 'I'm sorry, I would never have pushed you towards Ant if I didn't honestly think that there was still something between you, I mean he asked about you every time we talk.. I just assumed he was still carrying a torch'

'Well he is, just clearly not for me' Alice told her with a frown

'I'm really sorry Alice' Lauren said sincerely 'I wouldn't hurt you on purpose. And I promise you there will never be anything between me and Ant'

'So what did Joey lie to me and tell me that he was taking you away to thank you for everything you did for us for the funeral, the arrangements? she frowned at her 'When you really went to see Ant?'

Lauren took a breath knowing that she had to make a decision, tell Alice the truth or tell an even bigger lie, another one to add to the list of the ones that she had already told'

'Look Alice, I swear that I am not interested in Ant, he's just a friend' Lauren repeated 'I'm seeing someone else' she said swallowing

'Who?' Alice asked her

'I can't tell you that. It's complicated Alice'

'Why?'

'It just is' she told her 'Look I promise that when I can tell you that you will be one of the first people to tell' Lauren tried to placate her, but Alice wasn't having any of it

'Oh so you can tell Joey but you can't tell me?' she snapped at her 'I thought we were friends Lauren'

'Alice we are' Lauren said 'It's just ….' Lauren sighed and she closed her eyes and she ran her fingers through her hair, her phone rang suddenly and he pulled it out of her bag and saw that it was Joey.

'Is that him?' Alice asked her, Lauren ignored her and answered the phone

'Hi' Lauren said

'Babe I'm sorry about what I said earlier, I didn't mean it the way that you clearly thought I did. I just meant that Alice can't take care of herself the way that you can, she's inexperienced and naïve' Joey told her

'I think we have other things to worry about right now' she replied

'What's wrong?' Where are you?' Joey asked her 'I can't see you in the club'

'I can't really talk now' Lauren said to him

'Who are you talking to?' Joey heard Alice's voice in the background 'Are you at mine?'

'Yeah'

'With Alice?'

'Yeah' Lauren repeated

'Is everything okay?' he frowned

'No not really'

'Who are you talking to?' Alice said again a little louder this time 'We're in the middle of a conversation Lauren. Do you know how rude that it? I mean first of all you force yourself into my house and then you stand here and you lie to my face…..is that him? Is this the mysterious boyfriend?'

Joey let out a breath 'I'm on my way' he told Lauren and he hung up the phone before she could say anything, She put the phone back in her bag and looked a Alice.

'Who was that?' Alice pressed

'Why don't I make up a coffee hey?' she asked her I don't know about you but I'm thirsty' she said and she walked to the kettle and she filled it up at the sink and put it on to boil.

'I don't want a coffee' Alice snapped at her 'I want answers Lauren'

'I don't know what you want me to say' Lauren said with a shrug

'I want you to start being honest with me' Alice said quietly 'I've confided in you, why don't you confide in me? Don't you trust me?' she sounded hurt

'Yes of course I do Alice'

'Then why I am the last to know that you're seeing someone?' she asked her

'You're not. You're only one of four people that know'

'Joey obviously, I mean he is covering for you, so who else knows' Alice demanded

'How about that coffee hey?' Lauren said and she grabbed some cups from the cupboard, she spooned in some coffee and sugar and pulled the milk out from the fridge. 'There a nice hot coffee' she said and she put the milk back in the fridge, picking up her cup as she walked past the table she walked to the sink and looked out of the window.

'You know I think you should leave' Alice said to her 'If you're not going to tell me anything'

Lauren sighed and she turned around and she looked at Alice.

'What do you want to know?'

'This guy that you're seeing? You said it's complicated'

'Yeah it is'

'Is he married?'

'No of course not' Lauren was upset that Alice thought she was capable of having an affair with a married man, the look of hurt that flashed across Lauren's face didn't go amiss with Alice.

'I'm sorry I know you better than that' Alice apologised 'Is he seeing someone else?'

'No it's nothing like that Alice. It's just complicated because of who he is' she said

Alice frowned even more confused.

'What do you mean?'

'People aren't going to understand' Lauren said 'They're not going to approve'

'He's older than you?'

'Yes but not much older than me' Lauren replied

They both heard the front door shut quietly and Joey appeared in the doorway, he looked at Lauren and saw her relax a little, then he looked at Alice.

'What's going?' he asked her

'What are you doing here Joey? I thought you were working until 2:00am' Alice said with a frown

'Well I missed you in the club and I thought I'd come and check to see if you were okay' he said to her

She narrowed her eyes at him 'I know when you're lying to me Joey' she said and she looked at Lauren who was looking at the floor. 'What's going on? Was it you on the phone to Lauren?' she asked him

'Yes I noticed that you were gone so I called….' Joey tried to speak but Alice cut him off

'Why didn't you call me?' Alice asked him 'Why did you call Lauren?'

'Because I assumed you would be together' Joey said

'Still doesn't explain why you didn't call me. What's going on?' she asked suspiciously

'Maybe I should go' Lauren said and she put her cup down in the sink and picked up her bag from the table and walked towards them

'Oh no you're not going anywhere' Alice said angrily 'Not until I get some answers. You are both hiding something from me and I want to know what it is!' she told them

**AN: Looks like feisty Alice has shown her head! Are Joey and Lauren going to be able to lie themselves out of this one or are they going to be forced to tell the truth? **

**You'll have to wait and see! Back tomorrow! **

**R&R and enjoy reading.**


	61. Chapter 61

Joey looked at Alice and then at Lauren.

'I really think I should go' Lauren repeated and she pushed passed Alice and headed towards the door.

'Lauren…' Joey called after her 'Alice can you give me a minute?' Joey asked her, he went after Lauren before she had time to answer him. 'Lauren… hey…. Wait….. please' he said

Lauren sighed and she turned round to look at him 'What?' she asked him

'I am really sorry about earlier, I could have phrased things a little better' he told her 'I just meant that …'

'I heard what you said on the phone' she told him 'You don't want your sister to be like me'

Joey glanced behind him and saw Alice looking at them from the kitchen, he nodded towards the lounge and he went inside. Lauren rolled her eyes and followed him, he shut the door behind them

'Babe that's not what I meant. If she was as half as strong, as half as capable of looking after herself as you are then I wouldn't worry about her so much, but she isn't. You've been through so much and you've had to learn things the hard way … I just don't want Alice to have to go through anything that you did that's all I meant' he told her 'You know what I'm like I talk first think later….' he said 'And you were right.. Alice does look hot' he told her somewhat uncomfortably. 'And you did a great job at making her look that way and yes she looked happy and confident in the club, she got a lot of attention. So did you' he said 'I had to stop myself from coming over there and punching that guy in the face that you were dancing with, but I wanted to'

'You were jealous?' she asked him

'Yes of course I was jealous' he said incredulously 'Watching some other guy touching my girlfriend, watching her letting him touch her'

'Well like you said, all it takes is the slightest bit of attention and I turn into a slut' she replied and her eyes filled with tears

'That's not what I was implying' Joey told her softly 'I don't think that' he told her

'Don't you?' she questioned him

'No' he shook his head as two tears rolled down her cheeks

'Oh hey, don't cry' he murmured softly, he put his hands on her shoulders, pulling her towards him 'I'm sorry' he pressed a kiss to the top of her head as he wrapped his arms around her 'Please don't cry' he rubbed her back soothingly as he sobbed quietly against his chest. Alice opened the lounge door, stopping in her tracks when she saw Joey holding Lauren.

'What's going on?' she asked with a frown

Lauren pulled away from Joey, sniffing as she wiped her eyes with her hands.

'Here' Joey plucked a tissue from the box on the table and he gave it to her.

'Thank you' she mumbled, she wiped her eyes and nose

'Are you okay Lauren?' Alice asked her

'She's fine' Joey said at the same time Lauren replied 'No not really'

'I'm sorry I was angry at you' Alice said softly, thinking she were responsible for her cousins tears, 'I was just upset about Ant'

'No Alice it's not you' Lauren said shaking her head

'Then what's wrong?' she asked

'Lauren and I had a fight at the club' Joey told her

'What about?'

'Its private Alice' he replied defensively

'Private?' she echoed

'Why were you upset about Ant? Has he done something?' Joey felt himself getting angry at the thought of Ant taking advantage of his sister

'Its private Joey' Alice shot back and the two glared at each other angrily

'Please both of you …stop' Lauren said looking between them both 'Joey and I had a fight about you, what I did and he said something that upset me' she said directly to Alice, 'Ant told Alice that he wants to be friend with her but that's all. He told her that he's in love with someone else' she told Joey

'Who?' he asked her half certain that he already knew the answer

'Me' Lauren said

'I knew it!' he scowled at her 'First that guy in the club and now Ant'

'And I told Alice that I don't have feelings like that for Ant, he's just a friend' she said 'I told her that I was seeing someone else and she knows that you know who that is'

'Oh' Joey muttered quietly 'So is that what this is all about?'

'Alice is upset with you because lied to her about taking me to Brighton, she's upset with me because she thinks I was getting closer to Ant in Manchester and because I wouldn't tell her who I was seeing and I'm upset with you because you really can be such a total dick sometimes and you're upset with me because of that guy in the club.. And I'm upset with Alice because she won't respect my privacy, and you're upset with Alice because she's not a little girl who needs her big brother to protect her all the time. So in all everyone's upset with everyone' she snapped at both of them.

The room was quiet for a few minutes, Alice was the first to speak

'I'm sorry' she said quietly to Lauren. Lauren sighed and closed her eyes feeling guilty for making Alice feeling guilty.

'No Alice…' Lauren started to say 'You were right, Joey and I have been hiding something from you' she said 'And I can't do it anymore' she shook her head and she looked at Joey. Joey nodded and he sighed

'You better sit down Al' he said softly

'Why?' Alice asked confused as she sat down on the sofa 'Joey what's going on?'

'I didn't lie to you about taking Lauren to Brighton' Joey said to her

'But you told me when you got back that it was just a cover story for you because you went away with your girlfriend, and that Lauren went to Manchester to see Ant'

'That part was a lie'

'You didn't go away with your girlfriend?'

'About Lauren going to see Ant' Joey said 'She didn't go to Manchester she came to Brighton with me'

Lauren could tell that Alice hadn't figured out what Joey was telling her, truth be told he was just confusing her even more, she shot Joey an exasperated look

'So you and Lauren went to Brighton and she met your girlfriend?' Alice asked him 'I don't understand'

'No Al' Joey said 'Lauren _**is**_ my girlfriend' he told her 'We went to Brighton together'

'What?' Alice blinked 'You and Lauren?' her gaze shifted between her brother and her cousin 'You and Lauren are together, together?'

'Yes' Joey nodded his head

'But she's our cousin' she said and she looked at Joey for a while and then turned her gaze to look at Lauren. 'You're my cousin and he's my brother…he's your cousin' she repeated.

Joey and Lauren exchanged glances, this was going to be a long night.

**AN: Well there you go, Lauren and Joey have, albeit under duress, told Alice about their relationship. **

**Will she believe them or will she think it's another lie that they've concocted to shut her up?**

Back later…. R&R as always and thank you for reading and reviewing. 

**Also sorry if this chapter sucks. I am not happy with it but couldn't really miss it out! **


	62. Chapter 62

'You and Lauren?' Alice said for the eighth time

'You keep saying that Alice' Lauren said and she looked at her cousin anxiously

'I think I need to talk to my brother alone' Alice told her coldly

'Yeah of course' Lauren nodded and she glanced at Joey 'I'll um.. see you later' she said. Lauren went in to the kitchen and got her bag and walked back towards the front door. She peered into the lounge and saw a worried expression on Joey's face, her throat suddenly felt dry and she needed a drink. She walked out of the house and made her way back to the club, went straight to the bar and ordered 3 double vodkas.

Alice looked up at Joey 'Lauren?' she asked him 'Joey what are you thinking?' she asked him 'I mean seriously are you even thinking at all? She's your cousin. She's your family.' She said and she liked her lips 'You have to know that this isn't right'

'Who says its not right?' Joey asked her

'Well you must know otherwise you wouldn't be hiding it' Alice replied

'It's not that simple Alice' Joey told her 'It's complicated. More complicated than you know'

Alice frowned 'What do you mean?' she asked him 'Complicated how?'

'All that matters is that Lauren and I are happy' he said to her 'And we are Alice' he told her 'She makes me happy' he looked at his sister

'How long has this been going on for?' she asked him

'We've been together for a few weeks' he said to her

'And you took her to Brighton?'

'Yes' he said nodding his head 'Took her to all the places that mum took us when we were kids and she loved it there. 'You know she'd never had honeycombe before?' he asked her with a smiled as he remembered the look of trepidation on her face at her first bite. 'She loved it though, brought loads of it back with her'

Alice studied Joey's face as she looked at him 'So this started when you came back…before the funeral?' she asked him

'That's when we both admitted that we wanted to be together' he said

'So it started before?'

'Yes' Joey nodded

'When?'

'Probably when I first got here' he said shaking his head as he remembered the first time he had seen her, she was standing outside the chip shop, clearly waiting for someone, and a big part of him hoped it wasn't for a guy and he felt relieved when a little skinny blonde girl stepped out of the chippie and they started to walk towards Alice. 'I fancied her before I found out she was our cousin' he admitted to Alice.

'So it started then? When you were seeing Lucy?' Alice looked shocked

'No' Joey frowned shaking his head 'I figured that she was my cousin and that what was that. And Lucy seemed to like me and it meant that I got to spend more time with Lauren and the more I did the more I liked her and I realised that she had feelings for me too. I ended things with Lucy, moved in with Max and Lauren and I spent a lot of time together and then one night outside the club, she kissed me' he told her 'She was a little drunk, more than a little'

'You broke up with Lucy in October' Alice said 'So you and Lauren have been sneaking around for all this time?' she asked him

'No I told you we didn't start a relationship until a few weeks ago… we were on the brink of starting something at Christmas before Derek…..' Joey trailed off 'He saw us kissing….threatened Lauren, threatened me that if we didn't stop things he'd tell Max and Tanya' Joey said. 'So when I saw her a few days later neither of us mentioned the kiss, and we just went back to being friends' Joey sighed and he walked to the chair and he sat down. 'Until Bonfire night' Joey told her 'I'd had another row with Derek and I was a little drunk, Lauren came to see if I was okay and I kissed her' Joey explained 'And of course Derek saw the whole thing and threatened Lauren and I was confused over my feelings and I went to mum's for a while, when I came back Lauren wouldn't have anything to do with me. On Christmas Day she was kind of forced to spend the day with me. When she went up to her room to get something I followed her and I told her that I wanted to be with her, that I didn't care what anyone would think, I told her that the whole time I was away all I could about was her, how it felt kissing her, how much I missed her, she admitted that she felt the same and we were going to take the risk' he said 'Then Derek died and I took off again….' he frowned 'I didn't call her, or return her calls.' He trailed off with a sigh 'and I came back I was a dick to her, and she called me out on it. I tried flirting with Lucy to make her jealous, and all that got me was in a whole bunch of trouble, because now Lucy seems to be keen to back together with me'

'Is that way she was suddenly hanging around again, because you flirted with her?' Alice asked

'Well I sort of kissed her' he said sheepishly

'Joey!' Alice exclaimed

'Yeah I know a dick move' he said Like I said I was trying to make Lauren jealous'

'Did it?'

'Yes but it also pissed her off' he told her 'and she's already given me a world of grief for that so I don't need it from you too' he told her with a frown. 'Look Al, Lauren and me… I know that's it not a conventional relationship, and yes she's my cousin, but it's not as though we grew up together is it hey? And it's not illegal.' he told her

'No..no it isn't' Alice sighed 'But I've seen the way you treat girls Joey and its not fair to do that to Lauren'

'Its not like that with Lauren. Lauren's different' Joey said and he looked at his sister 'I love her, Al'

'What?' Alice asked in surprise 'You… you love her?'

'Yeah I do' he nodded 'and she loves me'

Alice nodded as she thought about it 'You both seemed to have been a lot happier lately' she said 'But it doesn't explain why you haven't told anyone'

'We're going to but Lauren fell out with her parents and Lucy was flirting with me all the time and we had Derek's funeral, we couldn't exactly announce it at the wake could we?' he asked her

'No I guess not' she said with a sigh

'You can't tell anyone Al please?' Joey asked him 'We just need a little more time, Lauren's started to build bridges with Max and Tanya and once things are better between them we plan on telling them first' he explained to her 'Please Al'

She sighed and closed her eyes and she nodded 'Okay I won't say a word' she told him 'but you have to promise me Joey that you and Lauren are going to tell Max and Tanya'

'We will I promise' he nodded and he looked at her 'Are you okay about it?'

'Would you stop seeing her if I said I wasn't?' she asked him

'No' he shook his head

'It's going to take some getting used to' she said and she looked at him 'But if you are both happy then I'm happy' she said with a shrug

'Really?' Joey grinned at her

'Yes really' she said with a smile, Joey moved onto the sofa next to her and he hugged her tightly.

'Thank you Alice. That really means a lot to me and I know it'll mean a lot to Lauren too' he said 'Speaking of Lauren I should go find her, tell her that you're okay with us' he said

'Yeah you should' she nodded and she got up 'I am going to go to bed and I will see you at some point tomorrow' she said as she followed Joey out of the lounge, she climbed a couple of stairs and then she turned to look at Joey 'I really am happy for you Joe' she told him

'Thanks Al' he smiled at her and he opened the front door and he left in search of Lauren to tell her the good news.

**AN: Last chapter today…. Please read review and enjoy. **

**Wonder what state Lauren will be in when Joey finds her! **


	63. Chapter 63

Joey found Lauren in the club after he spend a considerable amount of time searching for her in the square. He'd tried Tyler's flat, but there was no answer, he went to the B&B in case she had gone to see Ant but she wasn't there and luckily for Ant neither was he. He poked his head round the door of the all night Café hoping she had gone there but all he found was a couple of school kids making out at one of the tables, he checked the gardens and the park before he thought about the club.

She was sitting at the bar by herself, no one bothering her. Joey sighed and he made his way through the throngs of people until he reached her, he slid onto the stool beside her, eyeing the glasses in front of her.

'Hey' he said softly, she turned her head slightly to see who was sitting there 'Why don't you come back to mine. We can talk' he said

'I'm happy here thanks' Lauren replied and she picked up one of the glasses and raised it to her lips

'Don't' Joey said putting his hand on her wrist stopping her 'Please? If you drink that then I'm going to have drink the other two and I really don't do too well on vodka' he told her 'It's very messy, if you don't believe me you can ask Alice' he told her 'I'm sure she has some choice embarrassing moments she could share with you. And she'll probably enjoy telling you even more now that she's knows that we're together' Lauren turned to look at him 'She's okay with us' he told her, Lauren lowered the glass.

'What?' she sounded surprised

'I told her everything, when it started, about Derek knowing' he said 'That we really did go to Brighton together….I didn't tell her the exact threats he made or what he nearly did to you''

'And is she going to keep quiet?' Lauren asked him

'Yeah, yeah she is' he nodded and he licked his lips 'I've told her why we haven't told anyone yet and she understands. She just wants me to be happy and you make me happy Lauren' he said softly. She put the glass down on the table and Joey looked down at the bar and he reached out and took her hand in his, playing with her fingers 'She knows that I love you' he told her 'So why don't you come with me hey?' he asked her, she sighed and she nodded

'Okay' she said softly.

Joey smiled and they got up, Tyler and Ant watched from across the club as Joey reached out and pushed her hair behind her ear and grazed her check with his fingers, the moved closer together as if they were about to kiss and Joey stepped back and Lauren followed him out of the club.

Joey let them back into his and he locked the door and put the deadbolt on and he took her hand and he led her upstairs to his room, closing the door behind him and locking that too.

'Joey I can't stay' Lauren told him softly shaking her head

'Yes you can and you are' he told her firmly. 'I want to wake up with you' he said

'I'm still upset with you, for what you said' Lauren told him as she walked to the bed, she put her bag down on the floor and took her shoes off as she sat down

'I know' he nodded 'I didn't think how it sounded before I said it' he admitted as he moved closer to her again, he knelt down on the floor in front of her, his hands resting on her knees. 'I really didn't mean it that way' he said 'I meant that you know how to care of yourself because you had to, no one was there to protect you, to help you, I didn't mean that you were a slut, you know that I don't think babe' she looked into his eyes and she could see the sincerity there. 'You know you have this hard outer shell that you wear, if something hurts you, you don't let it show, except to me' he said and he moistened his lips with his tongue 'You trust me, you let me inside those carefully constructed walls and I promise that I will never hurt you' he told her 'I can't promise that we're not going to fight, say stupid things to each other out of anger, but I can promise you that I am not going to break your heart again' he said softly 'I can't live without you Lauren and I don't want to try.'

Lauren traced his jaw with her fingertips and she drew him into a soft kiss, 'Make love to me Joey' she whispered against his lips, he kissed her again, pushing her onto her back and moving over her.

**AN: First chapter of the day…. Hopefully there will be a few more…anyway hope you are all enjoying the story. If your reviews have anything to go by then you are! **

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed I really appreciate your thoughts and comments and encouragement. **

**To all the guest reviewers that I am unable to reply to individually, I take this opportunity to say thank you I enjoy reading your comments and thank you for reading. **

**So as always enjoy and R&R. **


	64. Chapter 64

Lauren was having the best dream ever. She was on the brink of waking up but the dream kept pulling her back under It was the kind of dream that has surround sound, high definition. One of the ones where you think that it's actually happening and when you first wake up you're left feeling confused and then a wave of disappointment washes over you as you realise that your mind just played a really cruel joke on you.

Lauren moaned softly in her sleep, knowing that she should probably force herself to wake up for fear of Tyler walking in and finding her having one of those dreams….. but this dream was just too good to leave, she'd give it five more minutes.

In her dreams Joey was a very skilled and talented lover, Hell, in reality he was a very skilled and talented lover, she could feel him touching her as though he was actually there with her on the sofa at the flat she currently shared with Tyler, she gave another soft moan and shifted slightly on the sofa.

Dream Joey was worshipping her body, every single inch of skin had been touched, caressed or kissed, she felt as though her body were on fire, her nerves endings tingled with delightful anticipation. Her body was on the verge of an exquisite breath taking orgasm.

This dream was her utmost favourite out of all the dreams she'd had about Joey. In this one he was savouring her tiny moans and sighs, exploring her body at a slow and leisurely pace to achieve even the smallest reaction from Lauren.

Somewhere outside her dream she heard a door close quietly, footsteps padding along on carpet and then another door open and close. Once again she tried to wake up but the pull of her dream was too strong. She arched her back as she felt dream Joey kissing her stomach, his fingers moving lower, she opened her legs and she felt his warm breath on her thighs, followed by his lips. The smallest flick of his tongue across her already wet cleft was rewarded with another soft moan, and then, when she felt his tongue probe inside her, her back involuntarily arched off the sofa as she gave a tiny cry of delight.

A hand covered her breast and teased and rolled her nipple as dream Joey's tongue between her thighs began to work her into a frenzy. She moaned a little louder as she felt the start of her orgasm ebb through her, dream Joey doubled his efforts and she went off like a fire cracker. The force of her orgasm woke her up and she gasped in breaths of air as she recovered. Dream Joey was almost as good as real Joey.

She felt movement between her legs and she frowned and glanced down to see Joey kissing a trail over her stomach, her torso, pausing to lavish some attention to her erect nipple, before continuing his journey to her neck, throat and jaw, before his lips found hers. His tongue plundered her mouth and they both moaned as he pushed his cock inside her.

'Finally you're awake' he whispered in her ear 'I thought I was going to have resort to shaking you!' he murmured as he moved slowly inside her, taking his time to build her up again.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Kat looked up at the ceiling as the bed springs in Joey's room began to squeak. 'Really? Already. I was sure that they wouldn't be awake until at least midday' Kat said and she looked at Alice 'You really didn't hear anything last night?'

'No like I said I'm a heavy sleeper' Alice said to her 'The house could be on fire and fire engines sirens blaring outside and I'd sleep right through it' she said taking a sip of coffee.

'You know you are going to have to have a word with your brother' Kat said 'He can't keep bringing girls back here' she said' There's Tommy to think about'

'He'll only be bringing one girl back' Alice said as she looked at Kat 'Joey has a girlfriend'

'Doesn't she have her own place?' Kat grumbled. They could now hear the cries of pleasure coming from the room upstairs and Alice stood up, flicked on the radio and turned the volume up a little louder than normal, but it still didn't quite drown out the noise.

'Okay that's my cue' she said with a slight blush as she heard the noises 'I'll see you later Kat' she snatched her bag off the worktop and escaped through the back door.

Twenty minutes later Kat heard Joey's muffled cries as he reached his climax and she let out a breath

'Finally!' she said with a sigh.

Joey looked down at Lauren 'Good morning' he smiled at her, she smiled shyly back at him

'Yes it is' she replied. Joey kissed her softly as he withdrew from her

'Hungry?'

'Starved' Lauren nodded 'Worked up an appetite'

'Well I better go downstairs and see what I can rustle up for breakfast then hadn't I?' he climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt 'Anything you fancy?'

'You' Lauren grinned

'You know talk like that might mean you have to wait longer to be fed' he said as he leant over and kissed her until she was breathless again. 'Stay' he told her firmly. He left the room and went downstairs and into the kitchen, Kat was there with Tommy.

'Morning' Joey said with a smile as he put some bread in the toaster and put the kettle on.

'Morning' Tommy repeated and Joey turned to look at the little boy in Kat's arms and he pulled a face at him making Tommy giggle.

'He's like a little parrot aren't you Tommy?' Kat asked him 'Hey?'

'Hey?' Tommy repeated again

Joey started to make scrambled eggs. Kat watched as he got one plate out, two forks, two glasses with orange juice and two coffees and put them on a tray.

'So is this going to be a regular occurrence now then?' Kat asked him

'What?' Joey asked her as he pulled a red carnation from the vase on the window sill and put it on the tray with a smile.

'Last night, this morning. Pretty loud aint she? Your latest conquest' Kat said 'And you need to get your bed springs oiled, maybe pull your headboard away from the wall a bit… just saying' she shrugged as she stood up with Tommy 'Right you, lets go get you dressed hey? She said exiting the kitchen and leaving Joey staring at her open mouthed.

Joey took the breakfast up to Lauren and they talked quietly as they ate, when the plate was cleared Joey put the tray on the floor and stripped off his clothes with a grin as he moved towards her.

Downstairs, Kat was in the kitchen getting Tommy's juice from the fridge when she heard the bed springs start up again. She rolled her eyes shaking her head with a smile as she went to pick up Tommy from the lounge and she left the house.

At lunchtime Lucy and Whitney were sitting at the bar as Kat came in followed by Tommy and Alfie.

'I'll see you later Tommy' Kat said as she ruffled her sons hair 'Have fun with daddy' she smiled. Alfie took tommy upstairs and Kat walked to the bar and Roxy went to serve her

'What can I get you?' she asked her

'Gin and tonic please and a good night's sleep would be nice' Kat replied as she sat down

'Tommy keep you up?' Roxy asked as she prepared Kat's drink.

'No Joey' Kat replied with a sigh,

Roxy put the drink down in front of Kat 'what you and Joey…really… wow I mean….he's younger than you….'

Lucy almost choked on her drink and she turned to glance at them both before turning back to face Whitney, tuning Whitney out so she could hear their conversation.

'Kat laughed 'No…not me and Joey' Kat said as she took a drink 'Joey had an overnight visitor last night' she said to Roxy 'And lets just say the boys got stamina'

'Really?' Roxy rested her elbows on the bar and leant forward 'How…how much stamina?' she questioned

'Three times last night, twice this morning' Kat said 'Oh and get this. He made her breakfast in bed this morning, even put a red carnation on the tray for her'

'Aw..that's romantic' Roxy said 'I can't even remember the last time I had breakfast in bed…or flowers' she said with a frown

'Yeah me neither' Kat said taking another mouthful of drink, she noticed Lucy at the bar, she leant closer to Roxy. 'How longs she been here for?' she whispered nodding at Lucy

'Since 11:00am' Roxy said 'Why?' Kat raised her eyebrows 'Her and Joey' she mouthed

'Nah. She worked the breakfast shift in the café. Alfie and I were in there at 7:00am' she replied.

'Crosses one off the list then' Kat said with a giggle.

Lucy frowned as she wondered who had spent the night with Joey, she cut Whitney off mid conversation 'So does Tyler talk about Joey much?'

'No why would he?' Whitney frowned at the question

'I just wondered' she said 'I mean Lauren and Joey are pretty close, now that she's living at Tyler's I would have thought that Tyler's got to know Joey a little better' Lucy replied

'Yeah we don't really talk about Joey when we're together' Whitney said to her

'Maybe you and Tyler could ask Joey and his girlfriend on a double date or something?' Lucy asked her

;And why would we do that?' Whitney asked her

'I don't know, maybe so you could get to know his girlfriend a little?'

'What and spy on her and then give you all the gossip?' Whitney asked her 'Not going to happen Lucy' she said 'Look Joey's obviously moved on. Don't you think its about time you did too?' Whitney sighed 'Look I've got to go I'm meeting Tyler. I'll see you later Lucy' she said and she finished her drink. Lucy watched her walk out of the pub. She brought another drink and began to think about how she could find out who Joey was seeing.

**AN: Okay so some of you if not all probably saw the start coming (excuse the pun!) but I couldn't resist. Been a while since they got their sexy on! **

**What exactly is Lucy scheming to do? Will it succeed and will she got the shock of her life if she finds out who Joey is seeing? **

**Keep reading. **** and enjoy and as always please R&R. **


	65. Chapter 65

After successfully leaving Joey's house without being seen, Lauren went back to Tyler's to get changed and then went over to her parents who insisted that she stay for Sunday lunch, although the atmosphere was a little awkward to start with, they all gradually relaxed with each other.

After they had eaten Lauren was helping her mother clean up in the kitchen 'Did you really mean what you said about me doing some shifts at Booties?' Lauren asked her

'Yes of course I did' Tanya said to her

'When can I start?' she asked her and mother and daughter smiled at each other as Max came into the kitchen

'Oh I came to help' he said as Lauren put the dishcloth away and Tanya closed the cupboard door.

'A likely story' Tanya scoffed at him 'You knew we were finished.'

Max grinned at her 'How about we all go over the pub have a drink together as a family'

'We can't leave Oscar' Tanya said

'Alfie will have him upstairs, playmate for Tommy' Max said.

'Lauren?' Tanya asker her

'Yeah sounds good' she nodded.

They walked into the pub together. Joey and Alice were eating their Sunday lunch and Alice smiled as she saw us. 'Aw, Lauren's with her mum and dad' she said 'that's good that they're working things out' she told Joey.

'Yeah it is' he said nodding.

Alice waved at Lauren and Lauren smiled and waved back relived to see that Alice was at least no longer angry with her.

Abi stayed at the bar to help Max with the drinks and Lauren and Tanya sat at a table.

'You look…. You have a glow about you' Tanya said to her 'Is there something you want to tell me?'

'It's a new moisturiser' Lauren said 'Got fake tan in it' she shrugged 'I wasn't sure it was working and since no one's said anything I was going to chuck it'

'No no its more than that' Tanya said as she studied her daughter 'Is there a boy on the scene?' she asked

'Not everything has to do with a boy mum' Lauren said 'Sharon's got me doing some promotional work at the club and I've got a job at Booties, college is going well and life is pretty good at the moment' Lauren told her

'No boy then?' Tanya sounded disappointed but she smiled at Lauren 'You look happier' she said to her

'I am' Lauren nodded 'Everything just seems to be falling into place. But I can't help thinking that it won't last'

'What do you mean?' Tanya frowned at her

'Well it normally does doesn't it?' Lauren said 'I'm the family screw up sooner or later I'll do something stupid to wreck everything'

Joey glanced over to see Tanya reach across the table and take both of Lauren's hands in hers, he smiled. 'You are not the family screw up Lauren. You are my baby girl and I know that I haven't shown you lately but I love you so much. And I'm proud of you. You've grown up so much over the last few weeks and I am really sorry about the way we no I treated you, taking you for granted. You always have place at home if you need it. It's always going to be your home darling. And if you need to talk to have a mother and daughter chat you just come and find me okay?' she asked her

'We could make a date. Every Wednesday lunchtime' Lauren suggested. Tanya beamed at her

'Yeah I'd like that' she said 'Wednesday lunchtime it is'

Max, Abi and Tanya left with Oscar after a couple of drinks and Lauren got up to join Alice and Joey, as she moved towards them Tyler, Whitney and Ant walked into the Vic.

'Oi! I want a word with you' Lauren shouted at Ant as he bypassed Alice and Joey and walked over to him. She grabbed his arm and practically dragged him out of the Vic.

'What's that about?' Whitney asked Tyler.

'Alice' Tyler replied.

Lauren dragged Ant to the café and they sat down. 'What the hell was last night about?' she frowned at him 'I thought you liked Alice. I would never have persuaded her to go out with you if I thought you were going to hurt her and then you telling her that you're in love with someone else…'

Ant swallowed 'Did she tell you who?'

'Yeah she did. Joey too' Lauren told him

'I'm not going to apologise for how I feel' Ant said 'for hurting Alice, yeah I'm sorry. That's why I told her the truth. I didn't want to string her along' he told her

'Look Ant… you know that you are one of my best friends and I love you.. I'm just not in love with you. I'm …'

'I know' he nodded and he sighed 'Tyler and I saw you at the club last night and it's pretty clear how you feel about each other' he said 'I was prepared not to like him, but the way he was so gentle and caring with you….. I found myself liking him' he admitted.

'Yeah well there are sides to him that no everyone gets to see' Lauren told him 'You are not his favourite person at this precise moment in time'

'Is he jealous?' Ant asked hopefully

'Doesn't matter if he is. There's nothing for him to be jealous about' Lauren stated 'I'm sorry' she said at the disappointed look on Ant's face. 'I don't want to hurt you but it's the truth' she put her hand on top of his as Lucy walked into the café, she saw the gesture and smiled, helping herself to some money from the till she headed over to the Vic.

'So we're still friends then?'

'Yes absolutely' Lauren nodded and she smiled at him 'nothing is going to change that' she told him

'It must be hard for you. Having to pretend like you are not together in public' Ant said. Lauren nodded

'Yeah it is, but we make up for it when we're alone' she told him with a grin

'Thank you for that visual Lauren, I feel much better now' he told her

'Sorry' she said sheepishly 'I have to ask … you're not going to …'

'Tell on you?' he asked her and he shook his head 'No I'm not' he promised.

'Good. Thank you' she said 'So… you should probably avoid Joey for a while and Alice, who, by the way, has a wicked temper.' Lauren said

'Shouldn't be hard I'm going back to Manchester tonight' he told her 'That's why I was in the Vic, planning on having a beer with my big brother and his girlfriend before I had to leave'

'Is there still time?' Lauren asked

'Yeah I guess for a half maybe'

'Well come on then' she said standing up. They walked back into the Vic and over to Tyler, Whitney and Lucy.

'You're still alive then?' Tyler said

'Yeah barely' he glanced at Lauren and she rolled her eyes

'You are a bigger drama queen than me' she told him.

'No one's a bigger drama queen than you' Whitney shot back 'It'll be on your gravestone. Here lies Lauren Branning…'

'Drama Queen' Lucy, Tyler, Whitney and Ant all said together and the five of them erupted into laughter.

'Ha ha you're all hysterical!' Lauren grinned at them. 'Anyway I am going to love you and leave you and have some grown up conversations with my cousins' she told them. She looked at Ant, whose eyes flickered to Joey and Alice, Lauren hugged him tightly 'Call me okay?' she asked him

'Yeah I will. You too' he said and he smiled. She let him go and Lauren walked over to her cousins and sat down.

'What was that all about?' Alice asked her

'Ant's going back to Manchester tonight; Lauren said 'and he said that he's really sorry that he hurt you, but he didn't want to lead you on'

'Bit late for that' Joey spat back.

'Hey be nice' she told him 'he really is sorry, the last thing he wanted to hurt was hurt her, some guys would have just strung her along and hurt her even more'

Half an hour later Lucy came over 'Mind if I join you?' she asked them 'Only Whit and Tyler are making out and I feel like a spare part'

'Sure' Alice said before Lauren and Joey could say anything.

Lucy could feel the tension between her and Lauren and she took a breath 'I'm really sorry Lauren for the things I said in the club the other night. I was a little bit drunk'

'Really?' Lauren looked at her 'And there was me thinking that you were just being a bitch as per usual'

Alice frowned 'Have I missed something?' she asked looking between Lucy and Lauren with a confused expression on her face.

'Lauren and I had a fight' Lucy explained 'which was totally my fault. My mouth and brain tend to disengage when I've been drinking. Look, Lauren we both said things that we regret and …'

Lauren cut her off and turned her cold gaze on her 'I regret nothing that I said to you that night' she told her 'You're very luck that you didn't get punched in the face'

'Yeah I know and I would have totally deserved it. But I really am sorry Lauren. I want us to be friends again please?' she asked her 'If its help you can slap me now, make up for not doing it the other night'

'You have no idea exactly how tempting that is Lucy' Lauren told her and she took a deep breath and let it out slowly 'This is your last chance Lucy. You screw it up and we're done for good and I mean it this time' she told her 'I'm not taking your crap anymore'

'Okay' Lucy nodded 'Look why don't I buy everyone a drink hey? Start over?' she asked them all.

'Just cokes please' Lauren said.

'Coming up' Lucy got up and walked to the bar, now that she was back in Lauren's good books she'd be able to use it to her advantage. She knew that Alice liked Ant and she assumed that Ant and Lauren were closer than they let on and she could sympathise with Alice, being in a similar situation herself, liking someone who didn't like her and very subtly grill her for information on her brother's girlfriend, but she'd have to be very careful how she broached the subject so she didn't raise suspicions. She grinned broadly to herself as she had the perfect idea.

**AN: Uh-oh Lucy has Alice in her sights. Will she crack under the pressure?**

**Keep reading to find out. **

**Thanks for reviewing always a great pleasure to read your comments.**

**As always R&R **


	66. Chapter 66

Monday morning and Lauren woke up at 8:00am, she showered and dressed and went to the kitchen and discovered that there was no milk. She grabbed her things and went to the café.

'One coffee to drink in please Lucy' she said and she sat down at the nearest empty table.

Lucy brought the coffee over and sat down 'Are you okay?' Lucy asked her

Yeah' Tyler was supposed to go shopping yesterday but he clearly forgot. This is my first coffee so I'm still half asleep'

'That explains why your t-shirt is on back to front' Lucy said with a smile, Lauren looked down at herself

'Crap' she said

'Key for the toilets near the till' Lucy said 'I'll watch your coffee'

'Thanks' Lauren said, she returned having rectified her clothing situation and she retook her seat and picked up her coffee.

Joey came in and saw her at the table but she didn't see him, he got a coffee and ordered two lots of toast and he sat down at Lauren's table.

'Morning' he said softly. She looked up at him

'Hey' she said and she smiled at him

'You're up early'

'Yeah I have to be at College early I have a meeting with my tutor. Then I have my first shift at Booties and Sharon text me last night saying that she wants to see me at the club at 3pm' she told him 'And if Tyler doesn't do a food shop today then I'm going to have to do that too as well as cleaning the flat again.'

'Are you free for lunch?' he asked

'I'll be having lunch on the tube' she told him 'If I have time to buy something' she took a sip of coffee 'what are you up to today'

'Working at the club until 12pm' he said 'Then I might go to the gym, work out a little, have a beer at the Vic and then home to watch tv' he replied

'Some people have it easy' Lauren said and Joey grinned at her, he picked his coffee cup up and held to his lips

'Maybe you can come over later?' he asked quietly before taking a mouthful of coffee, Lauren nodded. Lucy brought the toast over and put the plates down, Joey pushed one to Lauren. 'Eat' he told her.

Lauren walked out of the club in a bit of a daze. She hadn't expected the conversation that she had just had with Sharon, she wondered how Joey would take the news. She walked back to Tyler's and let herself in. She checked the kitchen and saw Tyler hadn't been shopping. She frowned and sent him a text reminding him. She called Joey 'Hey babe' he said when he answered

'Hey where are you?' she asked him

'Just leaving the pub why?'

'I'll meet you at yours' she said

'Okay see you soon' he told her and he hung up.

Lauren knocked on the door just after Joey shut the door. He opened it again and he smiled at her

'Hey'

'Hey' she replied

'Joey is that you?' Alice called from the lounge

'Yeah and Lauren' he said

'Good I was just leaving you a note' Alice said

'Because texting is so over' Lauren grinned at her as they entered the lounge

'Ha ha funny' Alice said

'You look nice' Joey said to her

'Thanks, I'm going out with Lucy tonight' she said

'Since when have you and Lucy ben best friends?' he questioned her

'I'm old enough to choose my own friends Joey' Alice told him rolling her eyes and she looked at the half written note 'That's what I was putting on the note. We're going out for pizza and then we're going to the cinema and then to a wine bar' she said 'I won't be back late' she said as she put her bag over her shoulder and walked to the front door. 'Oh and Kat said if your girlfriend pays a visit can you tell her to keep the volume down' Alice grinned to herself as she opened the door and left.

'What did she say about Kat?' Lauren asked Joey

'It's nothing' Joey said 'Do you want a coffee?' he asked as he fled into the kitchen

'Joseph Branning!' Lauren exclaimed as she followed him.

Lucy went to the bar to get another round of drinks, and she took them back to the table. 'I really like this place' Alice said 'I had no idea that it was here' she told Lucy as she looked around 'There was a place like this back home, not that Joey would ever let me go in there' she frowned.

'Yeah? Joey and I used to come here' Lucy said to her

Alice looked at her in surprise 'Really?' Alice asked her 'Joey usually hates places like this' she told her 'Says they're for people who think they're better than everyone else' Lucy blinked at her uncertain for a moment if Alice was having a dig at her, but then decided that she wasn't.

'I was really sorry to hear that you and Ant aren't going to work out' Lucy said to her

'How did you know?'

'Lauren told me this morning' Lucy said

'Oh' Alice said with a frown

'Yeah and I saw her and Ant in the café last night. They were huddled close together, holding hands, looked pretty intimate' she said

'Yeah they're good friends' Alice nodded, faint alarm bells were ringing in her head

Lucy blinked 'They looked as though they were more than friends to me' she told her 'I always thought that they would get together, but she dated Tyler instead, poor Ant was heart-broken. He'd been interested in her for a while' she said softly. 'I know its hard to like someone who isn't interested in you' Lucy continued 'We have that in common' she said and she looked down. Alice took a big mouthful of wine. 'You and Ant, it's like me and Joey' she said

'You and Joey?' Alice asked

'Yeah, I still fancy Joey' Lucy said with a faint blush 'And now he's seeing someone else' she glanced at Alice through her eye lashes pretending to be embarrassed. 'I've tried to talk to Lauren and Whitney about it but all they do is tell me to move in, and that there's plenty other fish in the sea' she said to her 'As if that instantly stops you feeling the way that you feel' Lucy told her 'For a while I thought that Joey was interested in getting back together, giving us another go, I mean he flirted with me and he kissed me and then suddenly he's blanking me' Lucy said 'You at least have some idea how that feels'

'Yeah I do' Alice nodded 'I'm sorry that Joey did that … he can be an idiot when he's not thinking clearly'

Lucy nodded in agreement 'Yeah he can' she paused and took a sip of wine. 'I'm really glad we came out together tonight. It makes a change to speak to someone who understand how I feel' she told Alice with a smile

'Yeah it does' Alice smiled back at her.

'We'll have to do it again' Lucy said to her 'If you wanted to?'

'Yeah that would be nice' Alice said with a nod of her head.

Lucy wondered if she should risk asking Alice about Joey's girlfriend, she decided against it for the moment, maybe when Alice has another few drinks in her she thought. Alice finished her drink and she out down the glass

'Well I guess we better be going. I have an early day tomorrow' Alice said to her

Lucy looked up in surprise 'It's only 8:30pm' she said to her

'Oh really?' Alice said and she looked at her watch 'I thought it was 9:30pm' she said

'I'll get some more drinks' Lucy said

'I'll just pop to the ladies room' Alice said and she looked at Lucy and smiled

'Okay' Lucy smiled back

When Alice returned there was a cocktail sitting on the table 'I thought we'd try something a little more exotic' Lucy told her 'I hope you like it. It's got a little bit of a kick to it'

Alice picked it up and took a sip 'Mmm it's nice' she said.

Alice got in at 11:30pm, Joey and Lauren were kissing on the sofa when they heard her come in. Alice dropped her keys and giggled and then told herself off for making noise and then giggled some more.

'Alice?' Joey called out and he gently pushed Lauren away and got up. Alice stood up straight as Joey appeared in front of her 'Are you drunk?' he asked in astonishment

Alice held her thumb and forefinger an inch apart and nodded with a grin, she giggled and shushed herself. 'Lucy… got me drunk' she told him

'Lucy?' Lauren said from the doorway.

Alice looked at her and she nodded her head in exaggerated movements 'Mmhmm' she said

'Why would she do that?' Joey asked Alice

'So she could ask me questions about your girlfriend' Alice slurred her words slightly.

Lauren and Joey exchanged worried glances.

'And what did you tell her?' Joey asked her

Alice suddenly clamped her hand over her mouth and rushed to the kitchen sink. They could her throwing up noisily.

**AN: So that was Lucy's plan, get Alice drunk so she would spill the beans…..did Lucy find out more than she bargained for? Find out at the next update (and not it's not tonight!) **

**Enjoy and as always R&R **


	67. Chapter 66b

'Oh and Kat said if your girlfriend pays a visit can you tell her to keep the volume down' Alice grinned to herself as she opened the door and left.

'What did she say about Kat?' Lauren asked Joey

'It's nothing' Joey said 'Do you want a coffee?' he asked as he fled into the kitchen

'Joseph Branning!' Lauren exclaimed as she followed him. 'you tell me right now what Alice meant'

'Joey sighed and he turned and to face her 'Look, Kat just made some comment that you ….we were loud that's all'

'That's all?' she shrieked 'When did she tell you that?'

'When I was making breakfast?' he pushed his hands into his pockets as he watched her pace the floor

'So you mean that she heard us before you came downstairs?'

'Mmhmm' he nodded

'And you didn't think to mention it?'

'Well I didn't want to embarrass you' he shrugged

'Because I'm not in the least bit embarrassed now' Lauren shook her head 'I can't believe you didn't tell me when you came back upstairs!'

'Look it's not a big deal' Joey tried to reason with her

'So if Kat heard then Alice heard too?' Lauren frowned 'Joey! That's it I'm not staying over here again' she told him

'Babe you're over reacting' he told her

'So you're telling me that you would be okay listening to Alice having sex?' she threw at him 'And you're okay with Alice listening to you have sex?'

'Well no …look, there's a simple solution …. next time we'll just have to be quiet' he told her

'No Joey there isn't going to be a next time' she told him 'I'm not changing my mind about this I am not staying over here again'

'See this is why I didn't tell you' Joey said 'Because I knew that you would freak out' he told her

'How am I going to look Kat in the face again?' she groaned

'She doesn't know it was you' Joey said. Lauren glared at him and then turned and walked out of the room 'Hey where are you going?' he followed her

'I can't be here when Kat comes back' Lauren looked at him as if he were stupid

'So you are never going to set foot in the house again, or in the Vic or walk through the market, go anywhere that Kat might be for fear of being embarrassed?' he raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest 'Becoming a recluse are you?'

'Yes. No. Maybe… shut up' she scowled, Joey couldn't help but smile at her

'Listen babe I should have told you.. you were right' he said 'But Kat's only jealous because you were clearly having great sex' he walked over to her and put his hands on her waist. 'And she isn't having any' he kissed her softly 'And you know that I love hearing you when we make love' he told her 'You know it turns me on even more' he kissed her again 'You don't want to make any rash decisions…' he told her, she slid her arms around his neck as he kissed her again.

'Not changing my mind' she murmured against his lips, he growled in protest and then pulled back to look at her

'So how did it go with Sharon?'

'She offered me another job' she told him

'Yeah? More designing work?'

'Nope' she said and she walked into the lounge and sank down on to the sofa.

'Well then what?'

'Some promotional work. She wants to me to dress up and give out leaflets at the club for the Valentines club night' she told him as he sat down beside her

'Dress up how?'

'Something sexy' she replied 'We're going shopping tomorrow to find the perfect outfit' she told him 'but that's not the only job she offered me'

'Oh?'

'She offered me a job behind the bar' she looked at him waiting for his reaction, he blinked at her

'We'll never see each other' he frowned

'That's what I said and Sharon agreed to let us work the same shifts' she said

'And what did you say?'

'I said that I would need to talk it over with you first' she waited for him to speak 'So what do you think?' she asked him 'Shall I say yes or will it be too weird with us working together?'

'I think it'll be great' he said with a grin 'You better tell her yes'

'Really?' her face lit up and he nodded

'Yes really' he laughed as Lauren squealed and threw her arms around him hugging him tightly

'I love you, I love you' she giggled as she kissed his neck.

Much later they were sitting on the sofa, kissing softly when they heard Alice come home.

She must have dropped her keys by the metallic sound that they heard as they hit the floor she giggled and then told herself off for making noise and then giggled some more.

'Alice?' Joey called out and he gently pushed Lauren away and got up. Alice stood up straight as Joey appeared in front of her 'Are you drunk?' he asked in astonishment

Alice held her thumb and forefinger an inch apart and nodded with a grin, she giggled and shushed herself. 'Lucy… got me drunk' she told him

'Lucy?' Lauren said from the doorway.

Alice looked at her and she nodded her head in exaggerated movements 'Mmhmm' she said

'Why would she do that?' Joey asked Alice

'So she could ask me questions about your girlfriend' Alice slurred her words slightly.

Lauren and Joey exchanged worried glances.

'And what did you tell her?' Joey asked her

Alice suddenly clamped her hand over her mouth and rushed to the kitchen sink. They could her throwing up noisily.

Joey closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers 'I'll kill her' he snarled

'It's not her fault she can't hold her drink' Lauren said softly

'Not Alice! Lucy!'

'Lucy can wait' Lauren glanced at the kitchen 'Right now we need to take care of Alice' she called over her shoulder as she went to help her cousin.

Twenty minutes later, after Alice had stopped throwing up, Lauren had put Alice to bed with a glass of water and a bowl beside the bed.

'I'm sorry' Alice said clearly embarrassed that she had thrown up

'Don't worry about it' Lauren whispered kindly 'you just try and get some sleep. The bowl is right in front of you on the floor okay.'

'Okay… thank you' she said softly, Lauren stroked Alice's hair 'Is Joey angry?'

'Not with you' Lauren whispered as Alice's eyes drifted closed. She went downstairs and Joey stood up

'How is she?' he asked her

'She's asleep' Lauren told him 'She's going to have a headache in the morning so go easy on her okay?' she asked him. 'Have you got something I can sleep in?'

'You're staying?' Joey asked her

'In Alice's room' Lauren said 'make sure she's okay if she is sick in the night' she told him.

'I can find you a t-shirt, some boxer shorts' he told her

'Thank you' she reached up and kissed him softly.

**AN: I bet you all expected this chapter to be one where they find out exactly what Alice told Lucy. That chapter is coming … there were a few things that needed to be addressed first. **

**So enjoy and as always R&R. **


	68. Chapter 68

Lauren found herself awake at 5:00am, her first thoughts were of the half bottle of vodka that she carried around in her bag and then of Joey She got up and used the bathroom and went downstairs and made a coffee, she was sitting at the kitchen table, when she heard someone else coming down the stairs. She looked up expecting to see Joey but instead Kat walked in, she sat up straight in her chair and waited for her cheeks to turn bright red, she was surprised when they didn't.

'Oh Lauren' Kat blinked at her 'What are you doing here?'

'Oh I stayed over last night… In Alice's room' she added quickly 'Alice came back drunk last night, she was throwing up so I stayed with her … in her room….. to make sure that she was okay' she spluttered

Kat didn't seem to notice Lauren's awkwardness, which made Lauren feel better 'Alice drunk?' Kat touched the kettle finding it hot

'Yeah apparently she went out with Lucy last night and well Alice can't really hold her drink' Lauren said taking a sip of coffee 'Why are you up so early?'

'Perks of running a market stall' Kat said

'Oh right yeah' she said Kat made a coffee and she sat down

'So how are you doing Lauren?' she asked her 'Things with your mum and dad any better?'

'We're talking I guess. Mum's given me a job at Booties so.. things aren't going to be fixed overnight but well you know' she shrugged.

'Yeah these things take time' she nodded 'And you're not moving back in?'

'No. Tyler's isn't ideal but at least it's mine if you know what I mean' she frowned

'Yeah I do. Good for you' she told her 'Standing by your principals'

'Yeah I'm not sure that mum and dad see it that way. I think they think I am just being awkward, but to be honest I think it was about time that I moved out got some independence. Even if I am just sleeping on someone else's sofa and all my clothes are in boxes in the living room.'

'I'll keep an ear out for any vacant flats going. You'll be amazed what you hear on the market' Kat told her

'That's Kat that's really nice of you' Lauren said to her with a smile

Kat shrugged 'Not really, what you did for Joey and Alice, all the funeral stuff that was nice' she said 'Well I'd better go start getting ready for work' she said and she smiled at Lauren. 'I'll see you later' she told her and she got up and went back upstairs.

After Kat an hour later left she went back upstairs and checked on Alice and then gathered up her clothes and went into the bathroom, she took a quick shower and got dressed. She checked on Alice again and cleared the bowl away, thankful that Alice didn't have to use it, fixed her a glass of orange juice and some more water and put two painkillers on the bedside table. She crossed the hall to Joey's room and opened the door quietly and peeked inside. Joey was asleep, naked from the chest up, one hand thrown over his face. She smiled and went back downstairs. The bottle in her bag drifted into her mind and she decided that she needed to do something to take her mind of it. So she cleaned up in the kitchen and did all the washing up that had accumulated and put everything away. She cleaned the kitchen work surfaces until they were spotless and shining. Checking the fridge she saw that they needed a few things so she let herself out of the house leaving the lock off and went to the minute mart she brought what she needed and as she left she saw Lucy walking into the Café.

Lauren let the door close loudly behind her. Lucy frowned from behind the counter as the noise ricocheted through her head

'Good night was it?' Lauren asked her. Lucy looked at her blankly 'You and Alice?'

'Oh yeah yeah it was good, I think we drank too much though' Lucy said 'My head is killing me' she said with a sigh 'How's Alice?'

'Well after she got home she spent a while throwing up' Lauren told her with a frown 'If I were you I and you see Joey I'd avoid him. He is really pissed at you for getting his sister in that state'

Lucy blinked 'You've seen Joey?'

'Yeah I was over there last night when Alice staggered in' she replied 'I stayed over to make sure that Alice was okay'

'Look I'm sorry it wasn't my intention to get Alice drunk..'

'It's not me you need to be apologising to' Lauren shook her head 'And after last night I'm not sure that Alice is going to hear you out. That's if Joey lets you get anywhere near her' Lauren told her and she turned and walked out of the café. Lucy frowned and swallowed a little nervously.

Lauren let herself back into Joey's and went into the kitchen, she put the bags down on the table and began to unpack them. Joey came in a few minutes later and he looked around the kitchen.

'Hey' Lauren said and she gave him a kiss on the lips

'Hey. You didn't have to do this' he gestured with his hand

'I've been up since five' Lauren told him 'I got a few things. I noticed you didn't have much left in the fridge, the cupboards' she said as she closed the door and she turned to look at him unable to read the expression on his face. 'Too much?' she asked him chewing on her bottom lip anxiously

Joey looked at her 'No. Thank you' he told her 'I'll pay you back for the food'

'Or you could cook me dinner and we call it even' Lauren told him, he smiled at her

'You have a date' he said 'Is Alice up yet?'

'No she's still sleeping' Lauren told him 'the longer she sleeps the better she'll feel when she wakes up. I'll make some coffee' she said. Joey watched her as she put the kettle on and put bread in the toaster and got a plate ready. He got up and wound his arms around her waist as she pulled out a frying pan.

'I thought you were just making coffee' he said to her

'Yeah I am and breakfast for you' she told him

'I'm not really all that hungry' he said to her, 'Come and sit down' he said. He led her back to the table and pulled her onto his lap as he sat down 'Are you worried about what Alice could have told Lucy?'

'No. Not anymore. I don't think she told her anything… well not about us anyway. I bumped into Lucy when I was shopping she was fine with me so I'm guessing she doesn't know' she told him 'And I also saw Kat this morning and although I felt a little uncomfortable she didn't pick up on it and I didn't go bright red, I got a little flustered when she asked me what I was doing her. I think I told her I stayed in Alice's room at least 3 times.'

'So if it's not Alice, Lucy or Kat, what's wrong?' he asked her 'the kitchen is spotless… not that I'm complaining'

'I couldn't sleep' she admitted to him 'Knowing that you were just across the hall. I just needed to keep myself busy.

'Why didn't you come in after Kat left?' he asked her softly

'It just didn't seem right, I looked in and you were asleep I didn't want to wake you' she told him

'Babe you can always wake me' he cupped her check in his hand and he drew her into a kiss. 'I've been thinking about what you said about not staying over here anymore and I thought maybe I should start looking for another place to live' he said to her.

'But you like it here' she said

'I like it here more when you're here' he smiled 'I can't live with my sister forever can I?' he asked her 'And she needs a little space too, can't be easy having her big brother breathing down her neck all the time' he said 'So I thought I would go out looking for places today. If you're not doing anything maybe you can help?. I mean I want you to like the place too, you will be spending a lot of time there'

'Yeah okay' she nodded 'It'll have to be after lunch though I have a shift at Booties. Hey maybe we can find a place for me too?' she asked him

Joey nodded 'Kill two birds with one stone' he pulled a face 'Can you smell burning?'

'Oh crap the toast!' Lauren leapt off his lap and rushed to the toaster.

Upstairs, Alice stirred, she rolled over in her bed and her head felt like it had lead in it. She cracked open her eyes and groaned loudly 'Kill me now' she murmured

**AN: How long can I drag this out you ask? Not much longer… Alice's version of last night's events are coming in the next chapter. **

**Thank you for reading and enjoying and the reviews. I am so glad that you are all enjoying it **

**Keep reading keep enjoying and importantly keep reviewing.**


	69. Chapter 69

Alice was grateful for the painkillers and the drinks that she found on her bedside table. She took them and lay in bed for another hour before she decided she felt remotely human and could venture out of her room. Joey and Lauren heard her door open and the bath room door open and close. Half an hour later they heard footsteps coming down the stairs and a bleary eyed Alice walked into the kitchen.

'How do you feel Alice?' Lauren asked her as she took a seat

'Like a steam roller ran over me and there's a really annoying brass band playing loudly in my head' she replied

'Yeah that'll get better as the day goes on' Lauren told her. 'Here drink this. Strong black coffee it'll help and some dry toast to settle your stomach' she pushed the cup and plate towards her

'You seem to well informed of hangover cures' Alice said.

Lauren shifted uncomfortably in her seat 'I've had enough of them so..' she licked her lips 'Usually I go for hair of the dog' she admitted 'Nothing like getting drunk again and staying drunk to keep a hangover at bay' she said and she got up and walked to the sink and washed her hands. Joey and Lauren looked at her curiously. She turned back to them both and saw their expressions 'What?' she asked them. She took a breath and she walked to her bag in the corner of the room fished around for something and placed it on the middle of the table 'Never leave home without a half bottle of vodka stashed in your bag that's my motto' she told them both. They both looked at the bottle of unopened vodka. Joey looked up at Lauren but she wouldn't meet his gaze. 'You might feel better if you had a shot' Lauren told her seriously. Alice reached for the bottle and undid it and poured a capful and swallowed it down in one, grimacing and pulling a face. She did the bottle back up again and pushed it towards Lauren.

'Thanks' Alice said

Lauren looked at the bottle, licking her lips as she felt the urge, the craving to pour herself a glassful suddenly overwhelm her. She swallowed and picked up her coffee instead and took a mouthful and then let out a breath. Joey picked up the bottle and put it in a cupboard.

'I'm really sorry that I came home in such a state last night' Alice said 'I thought Lucy was being nice, I mean we had a good time. It just wasn't until we got to the wine bar that I realised what she was up to.' Alice told them both 'She started out sympathising with me over Ant. She implied that there was something going on between you and Ant' she said looking at Lauren 'She said that she saw you holding hands in the café and that the conversation you had looked intimate'

'We were talking about me and Joey' Lauren defended herself 'And we weren't holding hands, 'I was just comforting him when I was telling him that we would never be more than friends'

'Anyway, she said that we could always talk to each other because we both knew how it felt to like someone that doesn't like you' she looked at Joey 'She kept the drinks coming and I kept drinking them but I swear I didn't tell her about you two' she looked at the both 'She kept asking about your girlfriend, if I'd met her what she was like… I told her that I had and she was really nice and I liked her and that Joey was really happy with her and that it was serious' she said softly 'she kept trying to get more information out of me but I kept changing the subject and talking about Ant' Alice said to her 'She wanted to know what she was like and I said that I'd only really met her once in passing but what I saw of her ..she was really nice, pretty and that was all I could tell her' she looked at them both 'I am really sorry'

'Don't be Alice' Joey said 'we will just have to be even more careful and tell Max and Tanya sooner rather than later' he looked at Lauren, she met his gaze this time and she nodded.

'Well I'd better make a move. Mum's expecting me at Booties and I need to go home and get changed' Lauren said, she got up and she poured the remains of her coffee down the sink, she washed up her cup and put it in the side and she picked up her bag. 'You may want to take it easy today Alice' Lauren said softy 'Watch some tv, veg out on the sofa'

'Yeah I think I might' Alice nodded 'Thanks again Lauren' she said

Lauren forced a smile for her and she glanced at the cupboard where Joey had stashed the vodka and then she met Joey's gaze. 'I'll see you later?' she asked uncertainly

'I'll walk you out' Joey said, he squeezed Alice's shoulder as he went passed and trailed Lauren down the hall to the front door. 'Hey, hey!' he said catching her hand pulling her round to face him. 'What time does your shift finish?' he asked her

'1pm'

'Then I will be there at 1pm' he told her 'Look at me' he said and she raised her head, looking everywhere but at him, 'Hey look at me' her eyes eventually met his 'We need to talk about what just happened' Lauren nodded 'I love you' he said softly

'I love you' her voice cracked slightly

'Come here' he tugged her hand gently and wrapped his arms around her 'I'm proud of you babe' he said kissing the top of her head, she clung onto him tightly for a brief moment

'Mum'll kill me if I'm late on my second day' she told him

'We don't want that' Joey smiled at her, he kissed her quickly 'I'll see you at 1pm'

**AN: Looks like despite being drunk Alice knew what Lucy was attempting to do and she that Lauren and Joey's secret is safe … for now. **

**And the alcohol issue has raised its head. How will Joey deal with this little problem? **

**More later …..maybe.. Read and review and enjoy**


	70. Chapter 70

Lauren's shift at Booties was uneventful, even a little dull if truth be told. The only highlight of the morning was Mrs Greenaway, one of Tanya's out of town regulars, had come in asking for a hair dye and poppy had misheard her and instead of giving her touch-ups on her blonde highlights she had put a thick almost white streak down the back of her hair and she looked like a skunk. Lauren and even her mother had a hard time keeping a straight face while she was giving her a refund.

Lauren was more than ready to get out of there when Joey came in to collect her at 1:00pm.

'Oh hello Joey love' Tanya said 'What can we do for you?'

'Actually it's more of what Lauren can do for me' he said 'She's helping me look for a flat' he told her

'Oh you're moving out?' she asked him

'Yeah' he nodded 'living with 2 women and a toddler are kind of impacting on my private life' he told her throwing a look at Lauren.

'And while we're looking for Joey we can look for me too' Lauren told her mother.

'Oh' Tanya said a little disappointed 'Well good luck' she said as the two of them left.

'So have you found any flats?' Lauren asked him

'Yeah I made some calls and we have a few viewings' he told her 'first one isn't until 2:30-pm so though so I that we could go back to mine have some lunch' he said 'or are you meeting Sharon?'

'No she called this morning and rearranged to tomorrow. How's Alice?' she asked him

'Good. Better' he told her as they walked towards his house. 'She'd gone back to bed for a nap' he told her.

After they'd eaten Joey cleaned up and then brought some coffee into the lounge and sat down beside Lauren.

'The bottle has been on back for about a week' she told him answering the question she knew he was wondering how to bring up 'It's like a safety blanket I guess' she told him 'And even I know that needing a drink as soon as you wake up isn't normal' she told him 'It's just how I cope with things, a quick mouthful and I feel better'

'But you didn't today?'

'No' she said and she looked at him 'I don't need it so much when I'm with you.' Her gazed dropped to her hands in her lap 'I'm not an alcoholic or anything …I can go days without drinking…' she told him.

'Do you want the bottle back?' he asked her

'Yes' she said honestly 'but not because I'm going to drink it and get wasted, just because it will be there when I need it'

'Okay' he said and he got up and retrieved the bottle from the kitchen and he brought it back into the lounge and put it down on the table in the lounge and then he pulled a miniature bottle out of his pocket and he put it down beside the half bottle. 'You can pick which one you want' he told her 'and you know that you can always talk to me' he said 'if things get too much'

'I know' she nodded. She reached forward and she picked up the miniature bottle, Joey was pleased at her choice. 'Thank you' she told him

'And from now on when we go to the pub or the club, all I'll drink is soft drinks' he said to her

'You don't have to do that' Lauren said to him

'I want to' he said 'It's more healthy not to drink anyway so…' he shrugged 'Just promise me that if that bottle gets emptied you talk to me' he asked her and she smiled and she nodded

'I promise' she told him

'Good. Now we have flats to look at' he told her.

**AN: Short chapter! Keep reading and reviewing. **

**thanks**


	71. Chapter 71

Over the next few days Lauren was really busy with college and spent every free moment that she had working on the project she had been set often working until the early hours of the night, catching a few hours sleep before she woke up and started working on it again. She and Joey talked a few times on the phone and sent text messages, they'd even glimpsed each other cross the square but hadn't actually spent any time together, which they both hated but couldn't do anything about.

Lauren woke up in the early hours of Saturday morning to squealing and giggling coming from Tyler's bedroom. She groaned and rolled over and tried to drown out the sounds with her pillow but she couldn't. She sat up and pulled on her coat and shoes and packed a bag with some clean clothes and she headed over to Joey's. She let herself in with her key and walked up the stairs as quietly as she could and went into Joey's room, he wasn't there, still working at the club she guessed. She toed her shoes off and shrugged off her jacket and she climbed into his bed.

Joey was beyond tired when he got home, he had picked up some extra shifts at the club with Lauren being busy and tonight the club had been a lot busier than usual and all he wanted was to sink into his bed and sleep for days. He was pleasantly surprised to find Lauren curled up asleep in his bed. He undressed down to his boxers and he climbed in beside her and gently pulled her close to him, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

The next morning Lauren woke up wrapped in Joey's arms, she smiled and turned round in his arms so she could watch him sleep. His eyes fluttered open and looked into hers

'Hi' she said softly

'Hi yourself' he replied 'Nice surprise when I got home' he said in a low whisper

'Tyler and Whitney were having a sex session' she replied 'I had to get out of there'

'I'm glad you came here' he said 'I've missed you these past few day'

'Me too. The project is finished now, I just have to get it to college on Monday. I was going to ask dad if he'd let me borrow a car she told him

'Can I see it? Joey asked her he was curious as she had been very protective of this piece of work telling him that it was unlucky for him to see it until it was done.

'Maybe. Maybe not' she said with a grin.

'Oh well in that case you won't get to see which flat I chose' he told her

'You got one?' she said excitedly

'Shhh! You'll wake people' he laughed quietly at her enthusiasm 'Yes I paid the first month's rent yesterday and picked up the keys. I thought maybe you could help me move in today'

'You've moving in today?

'Yep' he nodded 'I figured maybe you could stay tonight?'

'Yes absolutely' she nodded and she moved forward and she kissed him pushing him backwards and straddled him 'So you should probably pack up your stuff and I will go downstairs and make some coffee' she told him 'After I've changed' she kissed him again and then climbed out of bed and grabbed her bag and headed to the bathroom.

They ate breakfast and after giving Joey strict instructions to start packing up his things, Lauren went back to Tyler's and dropped off her back, stopping briefly at her parent's to ask Max about borrowing a car, he agreed and told her to pick up the keys Monday morning. She stopped off at the minute mart and brought a large supply of cleaning products and cloths and brushes and then headed back to Joeys. She left the bags by the door and went upstairs to help Joey.

'I'm back' she said 'And I picked up a supply of cleaning stuff so we can clean the flat from top to bottom'

'I'm pretty sure they do that for you' he told her as he zipped up another bag of clothes.

'Okay I think that will do it for now' he said to her 'Shall we go?' he asked her

'Yep' she said 'Is it far from here?'

'You'll have to wait and see' he told her as he picked up his bags

They left the house and Joey led her across the square, through the gardens and they walked towards the club, Joey smiled knowing Lauren was confused and didn't know where they were going

'Did I actually see this flat because I don't remember coming this way' she told him

'Yes you did' he said 'Be patient' he told her as they continued walking, he made them walk in a loop and then as they walked by Tyler's flat she grinned

'I know which one it is' she said 'It's the one I liked best' she told him as they turned a corner and she could see the steps that led to the front door of the flats 'Wait this is the one I wanted' she said and she frowned at him 'You said that you preferred the one by the school' she told him as he unlocked the door and went up the stairs to the top floor flat.

'Yeah I know I did' he said to her as he unlocked the door and held it open for her. She stepped inside and she frowned

'So you rented the flat that I wanted to live in?' she asked him 'That's just really mean' she said sounding really upset ' now I'm going to have to look for somewhere else' she dropped her bags in the kitchen and she looked out of the window 'I really liked this view… the window sill is big enough to sit on when I have coffee in the morning and the kitchen is perfect and I loved the bedroom' she said and she turned to look at Joey. 'I had it all planned out in my head, how I was going to decorate, what pictures I was going to hang on the walls' she told him 'I was going to move the sofa from here to there so it opened this room up a little bit'

Joey shut the door and he turned to look at her 'Well you still can' Joey said to her

'I'm not helping decorate your stolen flat' she shook her head

'So does that mean you're not going to stay here?' he asked her 'because like I said I paid the first month's rent' he told her 'and I only picked it because it was the one you liked the most, the one you said you could picture yourself living in. I kind of thought that you might picture yourself living here with me' he said to her

'What?' Lauren blinked at him uncertain of what he was saying.

'Move in with me' Joey said.

**AN: So did any of you see that coming? Do you think it's too soon? Do you think she will say yes? What will everyone else think if they do move in together? **

**Back tomorrow…. As always R&Rn**


	72. Chapter 72

Lauren blinked at Joey 'What?' she asked him again

'You heard me' he said to her

'Are you serious?' she blinked

'Yes' he nodded 'I'm completely serious' he told her

'It's a one bedroom flat Joe'

'Yes and if I was asking you to move in as my flat mate I can see how that would cause a problem.' he told her with a smile 'but I'm not asking you to move in as my flat mate, I'm asking you to move in with me as my girlfriend' he told her 'I want to live with you' Lauren swallowed and she looked at the keys 'Hey if you don't want to… maybe I'll just ask Lucy I'm sure she'll jump at the chance' he teased her as he turned away from her

'Don't you dare and that's not funny Joseph!' she frowned at him

'No Lucy jokes?' he grinned as he looked at her

'No!' she exclaimed 'That's not funny'

'Okay I'm sorry' he told her 'I won't ask Lucy to move in if you say no'

'Are you really serious about this Joey? Living together?' she asked him

'I'm serious about you. About us' he said 'I want to live with you, go to sleep with you every night, wake up with you every morning, have breakfast in bed' he told her 'I want this, you have no idea how much I want this'

Lauren smiled at him 'I think I might have a fair idea' she told him 'Yes' she nodded

Joey looked at her a little suspiciously 'is this a joke…payback for the inappropriate Lucy joke?'

'No it's not a joke' she shook her head 'my answer is yes'

Joey grinned at her and he swept her into his arms and he spun her round before setting her back on her feet and kissing her hard.

She grinned when he broke the kiss to let them both breathe 'We have so much stuff we need to get' she told him 'Cups and plates and some pot plants to brighten the place up….' She said as Joey took her hand and led her towards the bedroom

'Yeah there's only room you need to think about right now' he told her with a grin 'and that's the bedroom' he paused in the door way to show her the perfectly made bed. 'I was hedging my bets' he said as he started to unbutton her shirt, once open he pushed it open and he guided her towards the bed as he looked at her blue satin covered breasts 'No flat above us and the 89 year old woman downstairs is completely deaf' he told her as her lay her down on the bed 'So you can scream the place down baby' he told her as he bent his head and kissed the swell of her breast.

'Joey….' She murmured.

**AN: Smallest chapter yet! But for those of you who wanted another this is for you. No more tonight though…. You will have to wait until tomorrow night for more! **

**I am glad you are all enjoying this story… thank you for all your reviews these are what keeps me writing…. Enjoy and R&R **


	73. Chapter 73

Lauren let out a contented sigh as she stretched in the bed, her naked body pressing up against the length of Joey's.

'You know technically this isn't cleaning the flat' Lauren told him

'No it isn't but you have to admit it is a lot more fun and a lot more satisfying' he replied. She smiled and pressed a gently kiss to his chest, her hand slid up over his stomach and came to rest over his heart

'True, satisfaction was gained' she raised her head to look at him 'And definitely worth waiting for'

'Give me 10 more minutes and I'm good to go again, the feeling in my legs has almost returned' he grinned at her squeezing her tightly against him. She giggled laying her head back on his chest

'What do we tell people?' she asked

'About my legs?' he teased her and she giggled again 'We tell them that we're splitting the rent, its more cost effective and we have a sofa bed that I sleep on' he replied

'Do you think people will buy it?'

'I don't see why not. I mean they know that you're sleeping on Tyler's sofa in his one bedroom flat, it was only a temporary arrangement'

'Do we actually have a sofa bed?'

'I don't know, why do you think someone will want to look?' he asked her

She looked up at him again 'Maybe we should wait until we've told people about us' she suggested

'Why? No one knows what goes on behind closed doors' he told her 'no one is going to know that we're sleeping together'

'Yeah I know except for Alice …and Tyler … and Ant' she frowned and she licked her lips

'Are you having second thoughts already?' he raised an eyebrow

'No of course not. I want this' she told him 'This is the perfect place and being with you all the time is perfect too'

'You and your parents are back on speaking terms, in a few more weeks we can tell them that we're seeing each other, they don't have to know that we're sleeping together not yet. We can just tell them that we're taking it slowly and go from there'

'I guess' she said and she smiled 'how do we get my stuff over?'

'Carry it' he grinned, she slapped him lightly on the chest 'If we sneak it over people are going to be suspicious so we just do it in broad daylight where everyone can see'

'Well that makes sense' she frowned thoughtfully 'And what if people…'

'Lauren' he cut her off, pressing his finger over her lips 'Stop worrying' he told her 'Everything will work out. You'll see' he told her

'You're right it will' she said 'and I am sure that Tyler and Whitney will be glad to have the place back to themselves' she said and she smiled 'We should get up start cleaning the apartment so we can move all out stuff in' she told him and she pulled away from him and started to climb out of the bed 'Alice will be wondering where we are'

'You're right' he exhaled loudly as he watched Lauren start to get dressed.

Half an hour later Lauren was working on the kitchen, scrubbing, disinfecting every available surface with vigour. Joey watched her from the door way of the flat as he was about to leave to pick up some more of his things 'Are you sure you don't have OCD?' he teased her 'Because I'm really not sure that I can live with a girl who has OCD no matter how great the sex is!' he said

'I just want to know that the place is clean' she told him as she started to scrub the tiled floor.

'The work surfaces I get but we're not going to eat off the floor Lauren'

''No but we could do other things on it' she replied with a smirk. 'Naked things'

'Thank you for that. I now have to walk across the square with that image in my head' he replied

'It's not my fault you have a dirty mind' she grinned at him. 'Now hurry up. We still have my things to get if you want to stay here tonight' she said

'And I'm going' he grinned shutting the door, Lauren smiled shaking her head.

At 6:30pm they had cleaned the flat from top to bottom, their things had all been moved in and the majority of them unpacked. Joey was showering to get ready to go to work and Lauren was out shopping for food and a few other essentials that they would need.

When she got back to the flat Joey had already left to go the club. She packed all the groceries away and then took a long hot shower, wrapped herself in a towel and remade the bed. She did her hair and make-up and got dressed.

Once she was satisfied with her appearance she pulled on her black raincoat and slid her feet in the 4 inch heels that Sharon had brought her and she slipped out of the flat and walked to the club. Sharon was behind the bar as Lauren descended the stairs

'Hello Lauren right on time' she said and she smiled at her 'You know what you're doing tonight?' she asked her

'Yep, handing out the leaflets, selectively giving out vouchers for two free cocktails on Valentines night and a little flirting to make sure that the punters come back' she nodded her head

'Emphasis on a little' Joey said as he came up from the cellar carrying a couple of crates of beer, Lauren rolled her eyes as he put the crates down on the counter and he looked at Sharon 'I still don't see why you have to use my girlfriend to lure people back to the club' he told her

'Because she's young, gorgeous and sexy and if people know that she is going to working behind the bar that night. They'll come back'' Sharon told her and she looked at Lauren

'By them you mean guys' Joey said with a frown 'For the record, I'm not happy about this' he grumbled

Sharon and Lauren ignored him 'Does it fit?'

'Yes' Lauren nodded 'Perfectly'

'Great, So you know if you have any trouble tonight you nod at Ricky over there and he will come and take care of things, or you signal the bar and either Joey or I will come over and assist you okay?'

'Okay' Lauren nodded 'Is there anywhere I can leave my coat?'

'In my office darling' Sharon said

Lauren went into the office and shrugged her coat off and hung it on the hook by the door, and returned in to the club. Joey looked up at her and his jaw practically dropped to the floor as he saw the tight fitting short low cut red dress she was wearing. It had a love heart shaped neck line that accentuated her ample breasts to perfection, it was fitted and sleek and showed off the curves that he loved.

'Wow look at you' Sharon said 'You look stunning' she grinned 'I knew that dress would be perfect' she said and she turned to Joey 'Joey what do you think?' she asked 'Joey?' she reached across the bar and nudged him, his mouth snapped shut and he looked at Sharon.

'Mmm what?'

'If that's the reaction we get from all the guys in here tonight we'll be heaving Valentines night' Sharon said 'I'll just grab the leaflets and the free drink vouchers' she told them both and she hurried into the office.

Lauren smiled at Joey and did a little spin for him 'Do you like?'

'It's very…..short' he said with a frown 'Make sure that you don't bend over too much or lean too far forward. In fact you should probably put the mac back on' he told her

'Wouldn't that just give the impression that I'm not wearing anything under it?' she asked him 'More people would grope me'

'If anyone gropes you I'll break every single bone in their hands' he replied seriously and then their face' he said angrily 'Why Sharon would dress you in something like that …..' he trailed off

Lauren licked her lips and she looked down at herself suddenly the confidence she felt in putting this outfit on drained away 'Maybe I should go home and change' she said 'I mean maybe it is a bit too slutty' she looked up at Joey and he saw the uncertainty in her eyes.

Joey felt instantly guilty 'It isn't slutty' he said as he made his way around the bar to stand in front of her 'It's sexy' he told her 'Incredibly sexy. And you are an incredibly sexy girl Lauren' he told her and he put his hands on her waist 'Ignore me I'm just being grouchy and jealous because I know that every single guy in this place tonight is going to have their eyes on you' he told her 'Maybe even try it on with you, see if they can get you into bed'

'The only guy who has a definite chance … no a certainty of getting me into bed tonight is you' she told him softly. 'Any night for that matter' she told him 'And I put something on under this dress especially for you'

'You did?'

'Mmhmm' she nodded her head once 'So if you promise not to start any fights and be a good boy and stay behind the bar … maybe I'll show you later'

'Maybe?' he asked her his eyes darkening with lust

'Maybe' she smiled at him as Sharon came back with the leaflets.

**AN: Well I wonder what Lauren's wearing under the dress and will Joey like it? **

**Knowing what's coming later I would say he does! **

**Hope you are enjoying the story .. more later as always R&R **


	74. Chapter 74

Joey and Sharon both kept their eyes on Lauren as she made her way round the club. Sharon had decided it would be best for Lauren to go round before too many of them were drunk and that way she hoped Lauren wouldn't get too many problems. Sharon saw Joey tense as someone slapped Lauren's rear as she walked round a table, Lauren stopped and turned to look at the guy whose girlfriend looked none too happy. Ignoring the guy she turned her attention to his girlfriend and gave her the last leaflet for free drinks

'Just so you know you don't have to bring this idiot with you' she told her 'If he can't see how gorgeous you are and keep his hands off other girls then you really need to find someone better, it'll be his loss' she said.

The girl smiled at her 'You think maybe the hot guy behind the bar would be interested?' she nodded towards Joey

'No sorry honey. He's just moved in with his girlfriend' she told her

'Aw shame'

'Not for his girlfriend it isn't' Lauren grinned at her, she turned her attention to the boyfriend, 'And you need to show this girl some respect, and touch me again and I'll make sure that both your hands are in plaster casts' she smiled at him sweetly and walked over to the bar.

'All done?' Sharon asked her

'Yep' she nodded and she put down a pile of scraps of papers and beer mats on the bar.

'What are those?' Sharon asked picking one up 'Oh phone numbers'

'I have 12' she said with a grin 'It seemed impolite not to take them'

'I'm not sure Joey will see it that way' Sharon said

'You have no idea how many girls have asked me for his phone number' Lauren replied with a scowl.

'He is a big hit with the ladies' Sharon nodded 'But he only has eyes for you' she added 'So drinks are on the house for you. What can I get you?'

'A white wine please' she replied

'Coming up'

Lauren slid onto the stool to take the weight off her aching feet and Sharon handed her a glass of ice cold wine

'Thank you' Lauren replied taking a sip.

The club was busy and Joey and Sharon barely had time to stop. When the club closed Joey started to load the glasses

'Leave that Joey I'll do it tomorrow' she said 'I think we deserve a drink' she said. She grabbed the half bottle of wine and they came round the other side of the bar and Joey kissed her cheek as he sat down beside her. Sharon topped up Lauren's glass and Joey grabbed his beer 'I think we had a pretty good night' Sharon said 'Thanks to your advertising and leafleting. Phil is going to be pleased; she said to Lauren

'We need more bar realliable bar staff' Joey said

'Lauren, how do you feel about starting next week?' Sharon asked her

'Really? Yeah that'd be great' she nodded

'Joey can show you the ropes and I'll put you on the same shifts' she told them both 'Is there any night you can't do?' she asked Lauren

'No not that I know of.' she looked at Joey

'Welcome to R&R' Sharon said and they clinked glasses.

'Thank you' Lauren grinned at her

'Well you two enjoy I am just going to put the money in the safe' she told them.

Joey got up and nodded his head towards to the sofa seated areas and Lauren slid off her stool and followed him. They both sat down and Lauren took her shoes off.

'My feet are killing me' she complained

'Come here' he said she grinned and put her feet on his lap.

Joey started massaging her aching toes and feet and she smiled and closed her eyes 'that feels so good' she told him 'you have magic hands'

'Happy to help' he said with a smile 'so you okay about us working together?' he asked her 'I mean we are living together and we'll be working together, we'll be around each other 24/7 practically'

'Will it sound too clingy if I said that I wanted to be around you 24/7?' she asked him

'No' he said shaking his head and then he frowned pulling a face 'Well yeah maybe a little' he teased her with a grin

'Hey!' she laughed and slapped his arm lightly

'Ow hey I bruise easy' he protested

'Big baby' she laughed, Joey scooped her up and pulled her to sit on his lap, his hand resting on her knee.

'Actually I love the idea of being with you 24/7. Like we were in Brighton… which we can have a reminder of tonight and tomorrow. We don't have to leave the flat once we get back tonight until at least Tuesday morning'

Lauren smiled moving in to kiss him 'I like the sound of that' she whispered. Their lips met and Joey slid his hand up her leg as he deepened the kiss. She felt him stop suddenly and he broke the kiss, she grinned

'Are you wearing stocking and suspenders?' he asked her

'I might be' she replied coyly. 'That's for me to know and you to find out'

Joey stood up nearly dumping Lauren on her arse on the floor 'Sharon, Lauren and I are heading home!' he yelled out.

**AN: Me thinks naughtiness is about to ensue….. back tomorrow…. Unless you really really want another chapter tonight…. I could be persuaded. All you have to do is review and ask nicely.! **


	75. Chapter 75

**AN: For those of you who requested another chapter… here it is. **

**I know it's a hot night but it's about to get even hotter! **

**Hope you enjoy. R&R **

Lauren managed to get her shoes on as Joey practically dragged her from the club 'My coat!' she exclaimed as he led her up the stairs. Just before they got to the door her turned and pushed her up against the wall, pressing himself up against her as his hand ran up her leg to the suspender belt she was wearing, with a growl that made Lauren quiver with excitement he broke the kiss and pulled her out of the club.

How he managed to keep his hands off her during the 15 minute walk back to their flat he would never know, some kind of miracle or perhaps divine intervention. Either way he was seriously turned on by the time he unlocked the door at the thoughts of what he was going to be doing to her once they got home.

He slammed the bottom door to the flat shut, locked it and deciding she was taking too long trying to navigate the stairs in her heels and the dark, he turned and he put her over his shoulder in a fireman's lift and took the stairs two at a time. Lauren squealed in surprise and then giggled.

'Joey!' she exclaimed

'Hush woman' he said slapping her rear lightly

'I can walk!'

'You were too slow!' he informed her 'And I was a good boy all night like you asked…' he said as he unlocked the door to the flat and carried her inside, 'I stayed behind the bar when I was going crazy watching you being ogled and slapped' he kicked the door shut, carried her through to the bedroom and he bent down to put her down carefully and then he crawled over her 'I didn't break any fingers or faces at your request I think it' about time that I get my reward as promised'

'I only said maybe' she told him her eyes sparkling with excitement 'But you were good so I suppose it's only fair that you get to have a peek at what's under my dress'

'I want more than a peek baby' he told her as he bent down to kiss her, sliding his tongue between her lips as his hand slid up her leg to find her stocking tops. Lauren could feel his very prominent arousal against her thigh and surprising them both, she somehow managed to roll them so he was underneath her, she broke the kiss and she climbed off him 'Hey now where are you going?' he protested making a grab for her

'On no. You can look Joseph… but you can't touch' she shook her head and she turned her back on him and undid the zip to her dress slowly, peeking at him over her shoulder with a seductive smile, Joey immediately knew what she was doing.

'Are you stripping for me baby?' he licked his lips, she shimmied the dress down over her red satin strapless bra down over her hips, she stepped out of it as well as her shoes and then crouched down to pick it up, she held it in front of herself, he had to lift his head off the bed to catch a glimpse of her shapely bottom in a matching pair or red satin panties that were the skimpiest he'd ever seen her in.

His groin tightened.

His mouth went dry and he swallowed.

Lauren turned to look at him, her dress clutched tightly to her front, hiding him from her gaze.

'Take off your shirt' she told him

Joey didn't need telling twice, he removed his shirt in record time.

'Close your eyes' she said

'No babe…'

'I won't tell you twice' she replied, Joey closed his eyes 'No peeking' she warned him. He felt the bed dip as she got onto the bed and he felt her straddle him, sitting on his legs 'You can look now' she said.

His eyes sprung open to see that she had put on his shirt and buttoned three middle buttons up. 'You're killing me here' he groaned

Lauren smiled at him, her eyes glinting mischievously as she leant forward until their lips were almost touching 'Now remember what I said. No touching' she whispered, she kissed him softly and then her tongue tasted the seam of his lips, he opened for her instantly as she pushed her tongue inside to meet his, she caressed it gently and then pulled back as he tried to deepen the kiss, she sucked on his bottom lips lightly and then slowly kissed his jaw and his neck and she sucked his earlobe softly and then blew on it, he trembled. She kissed his throat, and down over his chest, he groaned and his hips arched against hers as she nipped his nipple with his teeth. The sheets were clenched in his fists as he fought against the urge to grab her and rip her clothes off and plunge himself inside her.

He felt his trousers being undone and her hand closed over his throbbing erection, she ran her thumb over the tip finding it already glistening with precum. He watched with hooded eyes as she brought her thumb to her lips and sucked off the moisture. He groaned loudly as she started to stroke him in a firm hard rhythm

'Babe… I'm not going to be able to hold off for long' he warned her. She smiled wetted her lips with her tongue slowly and then took him into her mouth 'FUCK!' he shouted loudly, thrusting himself in her warm inviting mouth. 'LAUREN!' she sucked him hard and scraped her teeth along his length and he came violently, she swallowed eagerly as he pulsed four or five time and then she licked him clean. She sat back on his legs and watched him as he gradually got his bearings back. Lauren smiled and he smirked at her.

'Can I touch you now?' he asked her, she chewed on her bottom lip and nodded.

He sat up and kissed her, pulling her close to him, his hands slip over her back to her bottom and he grabbed it and he pulled her against him, she was surprised to find that he was already getting hard again. He pulled the shirt apart and buttons pinged across the room, hitting the walls, the furniture, he helped her take the short off and he tossed it to the floor. He cupped one of her breasts in his hand and then undid her bra, tossing that away too. He took her nipple into this mouth and he sucked and licked and she groaned loudly, grinding her lower body against his.

He flipped her suddenly and she was on her back on the bed, he pulled away from her and he stripped the rest of his clothes off and he looked at her, she was naked from the waist up, her nipples erect peaks, her face was flushed, Her lower half was clad in a skimpy pair of red satin panties, a red satin suspender belt and black stockings. He ran his hand up her leg from her foot to the top of her suspenders and he carefully undid them one at a time and then he changed and did the same to her other leg, She expected him to roll the stockings down her legs, but was surprised when he moved forward to take her nipples into his mouth one at a time and tease them until she cried out. He slid one hand to the top of her panties and pushed his hand inside.

'You're so wet baby' he murmured against her breast. He raised his head and pressed a soft kiss to each nipple and then to her lips and he sat back and he pulled her panties down her legs and took them off and threw then over his shoulder. She glanced down to see that he was fully hard again and she smiled.

'Do you see what you do to me?' he asked her and she nodded 'I know what I do to you' he said running his fingers along her sex. He raised his finger to his mouth and took his tongue licking his finger clean, he moaned softly as he tasted her. He ran his hands up her leg again and he refastened both her stockings. 'Gorgeous' he said 'So fucking sexy!' he moved up to kiss her hungrily, trailed his lips to her throat and as he bit down bluntly he thrust inside her. She cried out in surprise and also in pleasure and he began a hard relentless rhythm. He savoured every single moan and cry that she gave, thrusting harder as he pounded her into the mattress as she clenched around him.

Lauren was overwhelmed by the sensations that he was creating with her and she bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from crying out. Her first orgasm hit her and she dug her nails into his back as she cried out his name over and over again. He rolled them again and sat up so that she was sitting on his lap, she felt him move deeper inside her and a few minutes later she exploded around him again. He kept up the same hard rhythm as he changed the positions again and laid her back on to the bed, staying on his knees, her lower back was off the bed

'JOEY!.. Please..I …I can't…' she gasped for air, her hands could no longer grip his back and they fell to the bed, he grabbed her hips and he raised them slightly and he pulled her down against him on each upward thrust. 'JOEY! FUCK! JOEY! JOEY!' she screamed out loudly as a third intense orgasm raced through her. Feeling her clenching around him even tighter than before pushed Joey over the edge and he came with a grunt, his cock throbbed as he emptied inside her.

A few moments later he collapsed on the bed beside her and she turned her head to look at him, he kissed her and brushed her damp hair off her face.

'I guess you really love the suspenders huh? she asked him breathlessly

'I really love you' he replied 'And I love you in stockings and suspenders' he smiled at her, he pulled her closer to him and he kissed her deeply. She felt a slight stiffness against her hip and she broke the kiss and peered down

'You couldn't possibly….' She said in bewildered amazement

Joey grinned at her 'That sounded like a challenge. You know how I Iove a challenge' he said huskily as his lips closed over hers…

**AN: Back tomorrow **


	76. Chapter 76

Lauren giggled as joey broke the kiss and sighed 'I'm sorry babe I can't he told her as he flopped on to his back

'Looks like you weren't up for the challenge after all' she teased him gently

'Give me a couple of hours and I will be' he replied 'Anyway you can't tell me that you are not completed sated after that' he half told half questioned

'I've ….. had better' she said keeping a straight face. Joey frowned and he rolled onto his side to look at her

'Oh?' he looked at with interest 'Really?' She giggled and moved forward and she kissed him lightly on the lips

'No' she admitted and she flushed pink. 'I never knew that it sex could feel like this' she told him 'I mean I've had sex a lot with a lot of different guys, and I've been in relationships before …but no one has ever made me experience anything like that… not like you do' she said 'Usually when I had sex I'd be pretty drunk' she told him with a frown 'I guess that's probably why I never felt like this' she said 'You touch me or kiss me and it's like every single nerve ending in my body feels it, and craves more' she liked her lips and looked at him shyly 'You make my body react in ways that I never knew it could. I only have to think about you and I feel myself reacting…' she trailed off blusher redder

Joey smiled gently and he brushed her damp hair off her cheek. 'Welcome to my world' he told her softly, she blinked surprised 'I'm Joey Branning, I don't settle down, I don't get serious, I'm a looking for a good time guy, I'm not a hearts and flowers kinds of guy. I don't do love' he told her 'Until you' he told her 'you make me want to settle down, to get serious, I asked you to move in with me, a year ago if someone had told me that I would be living with a girl I would have laughed in their face'

'You lived with Lucy' Lauren reminded him

Joey shook his head 'No she gave me a roof over my head and I slept with her because she offered' he replied 'Because it was convenient and on tap whenever I wanted it' he said bluntly 'It was just sex. Not even great sex' he replied 'and she wasn't the only one, there were a few girls I met in the club too' he told her,

'You cheated on her with more girls, not just with Whitney?'

Yeah' he shrugged 'It wasn't serious was it?' he asked her 'It was just a bit of fun' he told her 'A convenience, I didn't have feelings for her, it was never going anywhere. Not like you and me'

Lauren swallowed not sure if she wanted to know the answer to the question she was about to ask

'Are you sleeping with other girls now?' she asked him quietly

'No' he said truthfully 'I'm not and I won't' he promised her 'Because I don't want to and I don't need to' he said 'you are everything that I need. That I want' he told her softly 'with you I'm the hearts and flowers guy' he said quietly and he tenderly stroked her cheek 'I'm the guy who has fallen in love' he told her and he kissed her softly, 'I'm never going to do anything that's going to make you want to leave, I'm never going to hurt you' he murmured softly. 'I love you. I want forever with you'

She smiled at him 'I want that too' she pulled him down into another kiss, he smiled and he pulled her into her arms and she snuggled up against him 'I love you so much Joey' she whispered softly as she fell asleep, he pressed his lips to her forehead and closed his eyes.

**AN: Short chapter I'm afraid. Little time jump for the next chapter not by much though. **

**Enjoy and R&R **


	77. Chapter 77

Wednesday lunch time Lauren met her mother in the Vic for lunch.

'Hello darling' she said as she sat down 'I'm sorry I'm late'

'I didn't notice' she replied as she sent the text message she had been typing and she put her phone in her bag. 'Is it busy?' she asked

'Yeah actual it is' Tanya nodded 'Is this for me?' she looked at the glass of wine on the table and Lauren nodded

'Yep and I ordered lunch too. Lasagne and chips okay?'

'Perfect' Tanya replied and took a sip of wine 'Mmmm. I needed that' she smiled 'So how are things at Tyler's?'

'Actually I moved out of Tyler's' Lauren told her 'Joey and I went looking for flats last week and we both found one that we liked but it was the same one so we decided to share it. We moved in Saturday. It means that we both get to save a little bit of money each month and we get on well so it kind of made sense. On the plus side I have a bed now' she told her

'What about Joey's girlfriend?' Tanya asked her 'I thought that was the reason that he wanted to move out'

'Yeah it is, we haven't really talked through the house rules yet so…. Oh and I got another job'

'You did?' Tanya looked up at her as their food was brought over to the table

'Yep. Sharon offered me a position at the club behind the bar' she said excitedly

'Do you think that's a good idea? You're at college, Late nights early mornings, you'll burn yourself out.'

'I gave Sharon my college schedule and she is going to work my shifts around it' Lauren told her 'And she told me to let her know if it is too much and she can switch my hours around to make it work for me'

'Well that's good. Just make sure you do tell her'

'I will' Lauren frowned at the lack of enthusiasm from her mother and she felt her excitement wane slightly.

They ate and Tanya talked about the salon, Abi, Max and Oscar, not really noticing that Lauren wasn't paying much attention.

'Well this has been great love same time next week?' Tanya asked as she stood up and grabbed her bag. Oh I nearly forgot, you have some post' she pulled a few envelopes out and lay them on the table

'Thanks' Lauren looked at her. Tanya walked out without even checking to see if Lauren had money to pay.

'Great seeing you too' Lauren said to an empty chair. She pushed her half eaten food away and she looked through the envelopes. Her heart almost stopped in her chest as she saw one from the hospital and then it started to race. She got up and went over to the bar and gave Tracy a £20 and walked out without waiting for the change. She walked to the gardens and sat down on the bench, she tried to call Joey but his phone went through to voicemail, she hung up without leaving a message. She looked at the envelope and she tore it open with shaky hands and pulled the letter out and she read it

"Dear Miss Branning

We have received your test results back from your recent procedure and we would like to discuss the results with you as soon as possible.

We have made an appointment for you at 11:45am Thursday 7 February 2013.

Her eyes filled with tears and she screwed the letter up in her hands.

'Lauren?' Lucy called her name out,

She looked up and stuffed the letter in her bag and got up and hurried out of the garden away from Lucy.

She went to the allotments and she went into her granddads shed, she sat down on the up turned crate and lifted up the overturned flowerpot and pulled out her secret stash of vodka and unscrewed the cap.

Her mouth watered.

Joey tried to call Lauren throughout the afternoon when he saw he had a missed call but her phone was off. He walked into the pub and he saw Lucy at the bar.

'Hey have you seen Lauren?' he asked her

'Yeah at lunch time in the gardens… she looked upset' Lucy said 'I tried to talk to her but she just walked away'

'Okay thanks' he said 'look if you see her can you tell her I'm looking for her?' he asked her

'Sure' Lucy nodded 'Do you want to stay for a drink?'

'No I can't' he replied and he walked out. He tried Lauren's phone and again it went straight to voicemail. 'Babe it's me. Where are you? Lucy said you were upset, babe call me I'm worried. Whatever it is we'll work it out together. I love you' he hung up and he looked around wondering where I could be.

Lauren walked back to the flat and let herself in at 5pm. Joey rushed over to her 'Lauren where have you been?' he asked her 'I've been worried and I've searched everywhere!'

'Everywhere but where I was' she slurred her words a little

He frowned at her 'Are you drunk?'

'Ten points to you' she said with a grin

'I've been calling you' he said 'I've left you a dozen message maybe more' he told her, she moved passed him and went into the bedroom

'Shouldn't you be at work?'

'We both should' he replied

Lauren looked at him 'Okay lets go….' She spun round quickly and stumbled and frowned 'Oh….that wasn't good.

'Not like that you don't Sharon will fire you on the spot' he told her 'Lauren what's happened?' he asked her 'Was it lunch with Tanya?'

'I don't want to talk about it' she said moving towards the sofa and almost falling down on it. She put her bag on her lap and she pulled out her bottle of vodka and unscrewed it and took a long drink

'Do you think that's a good idea?' he said as he crouched down in her front of her 'Babe?' She swallowed the mouthful and looked at Joey and handed him the bottle, he shook his head 'Talk to me Lauren, what's wrong?' he reached for the bottle and she let him take it. He put the lid back on and looked at her sadly 'Whatever it is we can deal with it together… all this is going to do is make you sick, give you a headache' he waved the bottle at her 'Please talk to me' he whispered

Lauren clamped her hand over her mouth and fled to the bathroom. He could hear her throwing up, and he went in with her, and held her hair out of the toilet bowl and he gently rubbed her back. When she had finished he gave her glass of water and wiped her mouth and he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. She was crying softly in his arms. He lay down on the bed with her and called Sharon and told her that they wouldn't be in as they had food poisoning. He held her while she sobbed in his arms, pressing kisses to her head, rubbing her back and telling her that everything would be okay and that he loved her. She cried harder.

She cried herself to sleep and Joey lay her down and stripped her clothes off and covered her with the sheets. He fetched a glass of water for her and some painkillers and put them on the bedside table, stripped his own clothes off and climbed into bed with her and gathered her close.

Lauren woke up the next morning surprised to find Joey with her, clinging to her like his life depended in it. She turned in his arms and brushed his forehead lightly with her fingers

'I'm sorry' she whispered, Joey's eyes opened and he looked into hers

'How do you feel?' he asked her

'Mainly sorry, ashamed' she told him and she looked down 'You were so nice to me … no one's done that before, holding my hair…' he heard the tears in her eyes

'Babe… you have to talk to me' he said 'Tell me what's wrong instead of trying to find answers in the bottom of a bottle'

'I was looking for answers…. I was looking for …..I don't know' she frowned and she sniffed and swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand

'Why don't you go take a shower and I'll make us some coffee and then you can talk to me?' he asked her

Lauren looked at him and she nodded.

**AN: Will Lauren tell him the truth about the letter? About the drinking? **

**Find out later… If you want to read more please let me know R&R**


	78. Chapter 78

Lauren pulled on a pair of black sweat pants and one of Joeys t-shirt after her shower, she grabbed her phone and the crumpled of letter and walked into the lounge, sitting down on the sofa she pulled her kneed up to her chest and she turned on her phone. She listened to the voice mails that Joey had left and read through the texts and felt even more guilty that she already did because he sounded so worried about her.

She put the phone in on the arm of the sofa as Joey came in carrying the coffee, he placed the cups of the coffee table and he sat down at the other end of the sofa turning to face her.

'I'm sorry Joey. I just listened to your messages you sounded so worried' she looked at him

'I was… I am' he replied

'Are you angry with me?'

He shook his head 'No' he said softly 'Of course not. I more concerned about what you make you drink like that' he told her. Lauren blinked at him not speaking 'was it lunch with your mother?'

'No not really' she said 'All she wanted to talk about was the salon and Abi and Oscar and try to make me feel guilty that I wasn't living at home anymore' she told him 'When I told her about the job at the Club she didn't even said well done, just told me that working late and going to College early wasn't the best idea I've ever had.' Lauren looked down at her hands 'then she left without offering to even pay for half of lunch…she gave me my post' Lauren took a deep breath 'I'm used to being treated that way by mum and dad. Sometimes I'd get drunk just to get some attention from them' she admitted to him 'Even if was just them yelling at me and telling me that I was a disappointment, a bad role model for Abi and Oscar. At least it was better than being ignored' she peeked up at him briefly 'How pathetic is that?' he knew that she wasn't expecting an answer 'Sometimes there would be reasons why I would get drunk, but no once did mum and dad ask me why' she said

'Something upset you yesterday?' he asked her 'was it Lucy did she say something?'

'No I didn't talk to Lucy' Lauren shook her head 'I tried to call you' she said and she looked at him

'I know I got the missed call, I was in the cellar and I left the phone on the bar.' he said 'Why didn't come and find me?' he asked her

Lauren shrugged 'I don't know….. I guess I'm just used to not having anyone there for me to rely on…except vodka. Every time I need it it's there. It doesn't judge, it doesn't yell, it just ….makes everything stop for a while' she frowned and she picked at her nails 'It makes me feel better…for a while at least' she sighed

'Vodka isn't the answer, getting drunk isn't either Lauren, yeah okay so it may make you forget about your problems for a while, but when you sober up, in the cold light of day the problems are still there. They still need to be dealt with'

'Not if you keep drinking' Lauren said

'But all you're doing is putting off dealing with them, putting even more stress on yourself because they are still unresolved' he looked at her

'Sometimes you can't resolve them' Lauren said 'Sometimes they're not yours to solve. Sometimes you're just keeping secrets for someone else' Joey wasn't sure if she knew that she said that last part out loud her voice was quiet.

'Is that what happened yesterday? Because you're keeping secrets about us?' he said 'Because if that's the case then I will go straight over to your parents and tell them that we're together, I'll tell everyone' he told her 'Because I don't want you to get drunk because of us, because of me' he shook his head

'It's not you. Or us' she looked up at him 'I just….' She frowned and trailed off 'In the letters that mum left me that was a letter from the hospital, they say that they've got my test results and want to see me' she said

'Well that's good isn't it?' Joey asked her

Lauren shook her head 'No. When I was being prepped for the procedure I asked the nurse what would happen when the results came in and she told me that if everything was okay all they would do is write to my GP and I wouldn't have to worry.' She told him 'But they want to see me so it has to be bad news' she looked at him and her eyes filled with tears

'Lauren we don't know that' he said softly 'Hey come here' he closed the distance between them and pulled her awkwardly in to his arms 'Are you sure that's what the nurse said?' he asked her

'Yeah…no… I think so' she sobbed into his chest

'Well maybe you misheard or misunderstood' he told her and she pulled back to look at him

'What if I didn't?' she asked him 'What if I go in there and they tell me that I have cancer ….like mum did? I'm 19 years old Joey…'

'Hey come on now, we talked about this didn't we hey? Whatever happens I am going to be with you every step of the way. Whatever decisions have to be made we talk about them and we make them together. And it might not be cancer Lauren' he told her 'You read the leaflets just like I did it could be other things' he cupped her face in his hands 'You and me… we'll get through this together I promise whatever the results are okay?' she nodded and sniffed 'When if the appointment?'

'Today at 11:45am' she said

'All right. I don't have a shift this morning, do you have college?'

'Yes but I'm not going I wouldn't be able to concentrate' she told him

'Well then we stay here until we have to leave' he said softly 'and you need to try and stop worrying about the results until we actually hear them'

'I know' she said and she sniffed again and he pulled her back into his arms

'Babe' he whispered softly 'I'm here for you whenever you need me okay? For whatever reason. All you have to do is call and if I don't answer straight away just wait for me to. Let me comfort you, let me make you forget for a while, let me be your vodka' he told her 'can you promise me that?' he pulled her back to look at him

'I'll try' she said

'Trying is a start' he said with a smile, her stomach rumbled 'You're hungry'

She nodded 'I'm starved' she told him 'I didn't each much yesterday. I was on a mainly liquid diet'

'Do you want me to cook something?' her asked her

'Can we go to the café have a fried breakfast?' she asked him

'Yes' he nodded 'go wash your face and we can go' he told her

'Thank you. And I don't just mean for breakfast'

'I know' he smiled at her.

He watched her get up and walk through to the bedroom and he heard the bathroom door close quietly. He sighed, he knew she had opened up a little to him today but he knew that there was more that she wasn't telling him. He didn't want to push her not today… after they get the test result back, after they get good news, the all clear …whatever news they got he would broach the subject again. Until then he would prove to her that she could rely on him, that she could trust him, that he would always be there for her no matter what.

**AN: Well Lauren told Joey … she's not completely opened up to him yet do you think she will?  
How do you like this version of Joey? **

**Read and review as always**


	79. Chapter 79

Lauren had changed her clothes, putting on leggings and a black vest top t=shirt and her long oversized black and white stripy jumper. Joey smiled, he was beginning to work out that the clothes she wore depended on her moods.

'You ready?' he asked her as he stood up, he grabbed his wallet and phone off the table pushing them into his pocket and he held out his hand, she slipped hers inside and she reached up and planted a soft kiss on his lips,

'Yes' she nodded.

They walked to the café, Lauren's arm through his, they both laughed as they tried to go through the door at the same time. Joey let Lauren go in first and she found a table near the back while Joey ordered their food and coffees.

Lauren looked at her phone and she sent a text message. Joey's phone beeped, he pulled it out of his pocket, grinning when he read the message, he paid for the food and he joined Lauren, sitting beside her 'I love you too' he said in a quiet voice so only she could hear.

''Are we working tonight?' Lauren asked him changing the subject

'Nope' he shook his head 'but we are Friday and Saturday night'

'What if I screw things up?'

'You won't' he told her 'I'll show you the ropes and I'll be there to help if you get stuck, okay?'

'Okay' she nodded as their food was brought over.

Joey was pleased that she cleared her plate, when they had finished their coffee they walked towards their flat.

'Lauren!' they heard Tanya call out, they turned and saw her running towards them 'Can you pop home for a second? Oscar wants you'

'Shouldn't he be on the way to school?' Joey asked as they walked towards the house.

'He wants Lauren first' Tanya said 'He misses you Lauren'

They went up the steps and opened the front door. Oscar leapt up from his seat on the stairs 'LOLLY!' he exclaimed, she crouched down and he ran into her arms

'Hey Buttmonkey what's wrong?' Lauren asked her brother, he let her go and tugged on her hand and led her up the stairs and into his room. He sat down and he patted the bed and Lauren sat beside him

'I miss you' he said softly

'Oh I know buddy and I miss you too' Lauren said softly 'And I know I haven't really been around that much but that is all going to change' she told him 'I'll talk to mum and we'll arrange a trip or something just you and me'

'And Joey' Oscar said

'You want Joey to come too?'

'Yeah he's funny' Oscar nodded

'Okay well I am sure that Joey would love to come on our trip'

'Can we go to the zoo?'

'You want to go to the zoo?'

'Yep' he nodded and he grinned at her

'Okay we can go to the zoo if mum says its okay' Lauren told him 'so are you going to school?'

'Yes' he nodded and he climbed onto her lap and he hugged her tightly 'Can you and Joey take me?'

'Yes' Lauren said 'We can take you' she nodded 'Hurry up and get ready and I'll wait for you downstairs' she told him.

''Okay I'll be quick' Oscar said

Lauren used the bathroom before she went downstairs 'Well?' Tanya asked her

'He's getting ready for school. Joey and I will take him' Lauren told her and she looked at Joey and he nodded. 'Can I get some water?' she asked Tanya 'I'm a little thirsty'

'Yes of course' Tanya nodded. Lauren went into the kitchen and put her phone down on the side as she reached for a glass and filled it from the tap, she swallowed the whole glass down and put it on the side as Oscar bounded down the stairs 'Lauren he's ready' Tanya called

Lauren walked back to the stairs 'Let's go Buttmonkey' she said taking his hand.

After they had dropped him off at school, Lauren went back to the flat and Joey told her that he had a couple of chores to do and would be about half an hour. She sat on the sofa flicking through daytime tv, when Joey came back she had fallen asleep. He checked the time and decided to let her sleep.

He woke her fifteen minutes before they needed to leave for the hospital and she went to freshen up. Joey hugged her before they left and they made their way to the tube station.

Tanya frowned when she heard a mobile ringing she looked at hers and the followed the noise to the kitchen, Lauren's phone was sitting on the side, she picked it up and answered it

'Hello?'

'Miss Branning. This is Walford General Hospital we're just phoning to confirm your appointment at 11:45am today?' a voice told her, Tanya looked at the clock, it was 11:20am.

'Yes thank you I'm on my way' she said 'I've left my letter at home can you remind which department I need to go to?'

'Of course, Dr Richards clinic floor 4'

'Yes thank you I know where that is' Tanya said and she hung up the phone.

She blinked and stared at the phone, she knew Dr Richards clinic all too well. She'd been there enough times. Lauren needed her. She grabbed her bag and keys and rushed out of the house.

**AN: So Tanya has found out that her daughter has been visiting the same clinic that she did when she had cancer…. Will Tanya get there on time? Will she be there to comfort her daughter? OR will she be too late? **

**Read and review as always**


	80. Chapter 80

Lauren and Joey sat in the waiting area waiting to be called in.

'Do you want me to come in with you?' Joey asked her

'Would you be upset if I said no?' she asked him

'No of course not' he told her and he smiled 'I'll be here waiting for you when you come out okay?' he asked her and she nodded. He took her hand and entwined their fingers together.

'I just… I know if you're in there with me that I'm going lose it if it's bad news' she told him

'It's okay, I understand' he told her squeezing her hand

'What's the hold-up I should have gone in ten minutes ago' she said with a frown glancing at the door. The previous appointment came out with her husband or boyfriend and clearly they'd both been crying. Lauren swallowed and she gripped Joey's hand tighter.

'Lauren Branning?' the nurse said 'If, you'd like to come with me?' she asked her, Lauren got up and Joey smiled at her and he kissed the back of her hand before he let her hand go

'I'll be right here baby' he told her and she nodded and smiled a little and then followed the nurse to a smaller waiting room 'Dr Richard's will be with you shortly' Lauren nodded taking a seat.

Joey paced the floor as the hands moved on the clock. Lauren had been in there for 30 minutes, the more time that passed the more worried and anxious he got. He sighed and ran his finger through his hair. Whatever the results, if she was sick he vowed that he would be there with her through everything, he wouldn't leave her side not even if she told him too. He laughed quietly to himself, thinking how ironic it was that the first girl…the only girl that he had ever loved turned out to be his cousin and now she could be sick and they had wasted so much time dancing around their feelings, hiding from them, denying that they had them instead of acting on them and being together. But at least in the end they had finally given in to them and he couldn't remember ever being so happy. He turned and looked at the door again and he glanced at the clock.

Tanya walked into the hospital and got in the lift pressing the button to the floor she hoped she would never have to visit again. Her heart was racing in her chest, the thought of her daughter going through the same thing that she did, going through it alone. She wondered if this was the reason why Lauren had decided to move out, so she didn't have to put her family through this again, her heart broke for her daughter. The lift rise seemed to be endless, she was already near a state of panic when the doors pinged and she stepped out. She walked towards Dr Richard's clinic and she saw Lauren coming out of the waiting room. She was crying.

Joey turned to pace the floor again and he saw her 'Lauren?' his voice broke as he saw the tears on her face 'Baby..' his own eyes stung with tears as they moved towards each other and met halfway across the room.

'I'm okay' she told him 'I'm okay' she saw the tears roll down his cheeks, he took both her hands in his and held them tightly.

'It's not cancer?' he asked her and she shook her head

'No, the test results were all clear, I have another smear in 6 months but the doctor thinks that it should come back clear' she told him. Joey pressed his forehead against hers

'You're okay?' he whispered and she nodded and smiled

Tanya saw Lauren had Joey with her, she started walking towards them and then stopped in her tracks when she saw Joey kiss Lauren and the pull her into his arms, he picked her up, spun her round whilst she laughed quietly, tears still rolling down her face. Joey set her back on her feet and then he moved forward and kissed her again, a slow leisurely kiss. Tanya's mouth opened in shock and she darted around the corner to hide as the two cousins pulled apart and walked towards the lift.

'You were in there for a long time' Joey said quietly 'I was starting to think the worst' he said as they stepped inside.

'That's my fault. I burst into tears as soon as Dr Richards called me in. Took me about 10 minutes to pull myself together so her could talk and then when he said it wasn't cancer, I started crying again' Lauren admitted to him

'God I was going crazy waiting' he said and he pulled her into his arms again 'All I could think about was how much time we wasted, how much I love you' he told her as he kissed her neck 'I'm glad that you are okay' he told her 'But whatever the result was I would have been here…'

'I know' she said and she smiled at him.

They got a cab back to Walford and Lauren's stomach rumbled 'Pub lunch?' joey asked her

'Yeah but not in the Vic' Lauren told him

Joey leant forward 'Silver Fox please mate' he told the cab driver.

They had a nice lunch and acted like any other young couple. They walked back to the flat feeling lighter than they did when they left. 'So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?' Joey asked her

Lauren smiled, turning to look at him 'I don't know about you but I'm kind of tired. I think maybe a lie down would help' she smiled

'You read my mind' Joey followed her into the bedroom. Lauren stopped frowning suddenly 'What?'

'I thought my phone was in here'

'No you took it with you. You text me in the Café remember?' he asked her

'I did' she nodded and then looked at him 'I know I had it when I left…'

'We went to your mum's' he reminded her

'Oh crap. I need to go get it. If I've left in Oscars room …. The last time I left it lying around he deleted everything on it' she said 'I'll be back in five minutes'

'Can't it wait he's still at school' he said

'Not for long' Lauren said 'It's almost 2:30pm' she moved forward and kissed him hard. 'I'll be five, ten minutes max, you had better be in bed and naked by the time I get back' she grinned at him.

'I'm timing you' he called after her as she hurried out of the flat. She ran down the stairs and sprinted across the square to her parent's house. She rang the bell and waited for a few moments before Tanya opened the door. 'Hi, I think I left my phone here is it all right if I go up to Oscar's room to check?' she asked her

'Sure' Tanya nodded and let her in, closing the door behind her. Lauren checked Oscar's room and the bathroom and then headed back down the stairs, she remembered that she got some water and went into the kitchen. Tanya sat at the kitchen table, a glass of wine in front of her, Lauren's pone in her hands.

'Oh you found it' Lauren said and she took it from her 'Thanks'

'Are you hungry I could make you a sandwich?' Tanya asked her

'No thanks I've eaten' Lauren said 'anyway thanks for the phone' she smiled and she walked to the back door her hand on the handle

'It rang .. your phone, it was an unknown number' Tanya said

'Yeah I get those all the time, usually they're just cold callers trying to sell you something' Lauren told her

'It wasn't a cold caller' Tanya said 'It was Walford General. Dr Richards clinic to be exact' Tanya looked at her

'You answered my phone?' Lauren frowned at her

'That's not the issue here' Tanya told her 'Just tell me the truth. Do you have cancer Lauren?' she asked her

Lauren sighed 'No mum I don't' she shook her head. Tanya buried her face in her hands and she burst into tears

'Why didn't you tell me you have an appointment?' Tanya sniffed and she got up and pulled a sheet of kitchen towel off the roll to wipe her eyes and her nose.

'Truthfully?' Lauren asked her 'I didn't really think you'd care' she replied with a shrug 'it's not like you've actually shown an interest in anything that I've done so far. Me getting cancer would probably be more of an inconvenience for you, take away from the time you have to spend with Oscar, Abi and dad' Tanya blinked at her shocked

'Is that what you think?'

'It's not what I think it's what I know' Lauren told her with a frown 'I don't know why you're making such a fuss' Lauren said and she opened the door.

'You didn't want to tell me but you told Joey?' Tanya asked her

'Yeah Joey knew' Lauren said pausing

Tanya frowned 'is that what you two were arguing about at the funeral?' she asked her

'Yeah he found the first letter from the hospital' Lauren said 'I was supposed to have an appointment the day of Derek's funeral but I didn't go because I thought Alice and Joey needed me more and he got upset'

Tanya licked her lips 'You know I watched you two together, there was just something different about the way you two acted when you were around each other, before the funeral, at the funeral, They his eyes would seek you out of a room and follow you…' Tanya shook her head and laughed 'and I convinced myself that I was being stupid that I was imaging that there was more going on between you than there was' she told Lauren. Lauren turned to look at her 'I made myself believe that you were supporting him and Alice through the loss of their father, the funeral arrangements….that he was just grateful that you were there' she continued. 'When I took the call and realised where you were going …I wanted to be there with you to support you like you did me.'

'Yeah well you weren't were you' Lauren replied 'As always'

'There was a familiarity between the two of you. You don't act like cousins, like family' Tanya said and she picked up her glass and drank it all down in one and then refilled it.

'I don't see how you would know how cousins are supposed to act, you don't seem to know how to act like my mother' Lauren shot back at her feeling her anger rising and she stepped through the door.

'I know that they don't act the way you two do. How long have you been involved?' Tanya asked her

Lauren stopped in her tracks and turned and walked back into the kitchen.

**AN: What is Lauren going to say? Is she going to tell the truth or is she going to lie?**

**Is she justified being angry with her mother? **

**What's going to happen next? **

**Read and review as always, your reviews really do mean a lot. There's so many of you that are reading the story and I am pleased that you are enjoying it. If you've never reviewed before it only take a minute….. thanks **


	81. Chapter 81

'What do you mean?' Lauren said 'You know when he moved here the same as I do' she told her

'Don't be smart with me Lauren I saw you with him today'

'Yeah you saw me with him this morning because we had breakfast at the Café and then we took Oscar to school' she replied

'I saw you at the hospital' Tanya told her

Lauren blinked 'You were at the hospital?' she asked her unsure if her mother was telling the truth 'Joey came with me to get the test results. He didn't want me to go on my own in case it was bad news' she told her mother 'That's all'

Lauren's phone rang in her hand, she looked at it and saw that it was Joey calling; she pressed the reject button

'Was that Joey?' Tanya asked her 'Maybe we should get him to come over here, maybe he can answer the questions that you seem to be finding so difficult'

'What do you want me to say? Joey are I close' Lauren told her with a shrug

'Oh yeah I know how close you are. I saw you kissing' Tanya said 'so I'm going to ask you again. How long have you been involved with him?' she asked her firmly

Lauren took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 'A while'

'A while?' Tanya echoed 'I want the exact date Lauren'

'Since October'

'Now we're getting somewhere' Tanya said 'who started it?' she asked her. Lauren looked down 'Was it Joey?'

'No I started it' Lauren told her

Did something happen in my house whilst he was living under my roof? Whilst I trusted him? Did he take advantage of you?'

'No nothing like that' Lauren said shaking her head

'You were upset one morning… you wanted me to throw him out' Tanya said 'You had bruises on your neck…. Did he do something that night?'

'No. I started it. I was drunk and I kissed him outside of the club, that's all I was upset because he just walked away'

'What about the bruises?' Tanya pressed 'How did you get them?'

'Joey didn't hurt me' Lauren looked up at her mother 'Joey would never hurt me'

'Then how did you get them'

'It doesn't matter' Lauren shrugged as her phone rang again.

'Is that him again?' Tanya asked her and she got up and reached for the phone, Lauren pushed her away and she stumbled against the table, 'You better answer it, tell him to come over we can all have a nice little chat, just the 3 of us' Lauren rejected the call again.

'Look I kissed Joey and yes okay he kissed me back at first and then he stopped it, said that we couldn't and he walked way and nothing happened' Lauren told her

'When did it start again'

'Bonfire night' Lauren told her, she pulled out a chair and she sat down, putting her phone in her lap. Tanya sat down and picked up the wine glass and took a long drink.

'And did you start it again?'

'No Joey did. He was drunk and he kissed me in the makeshift barn thing they built' she told her

Tanya nodded 'And then what happened?'

'He left again. I tried to call him but his phone always went through to voicemail and he never called me back. When I asked Uncle Derek where Joey was he told me that he warned what would happen if I pursued things with Joey. And when Joey did come back I told him that we couldn't do this anymore that it had to stop'

'You ended it this time'

'Yes'

'Why?' Tanya asked her. She watched as Lauren's eyes filled with tears as she remembered why. 'Lauren why did you stop it?'

'Because Uncle Derek threatened me' Lauren said 'He saw us kissing both times. He threatened to tell you and dad about us. About something that happened…'

'In America' Tanya said 'Derek kept saying that we should have kept a better eye on you. That we didn't know what you were getting up to here that we didn't know that you got up to in America' Tanya said remembering the snide comments that Derek made 'Now it suddenly all makes sense.. except America. What happened in America Lauren?'

Lauren sniffed and brushed the tears away from her eyes 'Its none of your business' Lauren told her

'Does Joey know?'

'Yes' Lauren nodded

'Right that's it I'm going to call him, get him over here' Tanya said

'He won't tell you anything' Lauren said raising her chin. Lauren's phone rang again and this time she answered it, worrying that Joey would come looking for her. 'Hey…. No I just stopped for a coffee… yeah I know….. I'll be back soon okay….no its fine…. Yeah me too' Tanya listened to the one sided conversation. Lauren put the phone in the waist band of her leggings.

'I want to know what happened in America Lauren. I'm your mother I have a right to know' Tanya snapped at her

'And I've already told you that it's not any of your business. It happened to me not to you and if you cared even in the slightest you wouldn't have sent me there in the first place' she snapped back at her. 'And it's not like you'd listen to me anyway'

'What's that supposed to mean?' she frowned

'Exactly what it sounds like. All the times that I tried to talk to you about what was going on with me and Joey, with Derek you just shot me down, told me to stop having dramas. You were more concerned about Abi's exams or Oscars latest picture from school. You didn't even show the slightest interest or concern when I came back from the fireworks, upset, with my clothes torn. You didn't even ask me what was wrong' Lauren's temper was rising by the second 'Do you even remember?'

Tanya blinked and she nodded 'I do remember and I did ask you what was wrong, you wouldn't tell me'

'Once. You asked me once!' Lauren snapped 'Do you want to know what happened? Why my clothes were torn?' she stood up

'Yes' Tanya said concerned at her daughters flare of temper, the hot angry tears that were rolling down her cheeks

'Are you sure about that mum?' Lauren was practically screaming at her

'Yes I want to know' Tanya yelled back

'Uncle Derek happened. He followed me after he saw Joey run off again after he kissed me. He grabbed and dragged me down the alley near the pub and he told me that he wanted to know why Joey couldn't stop sniffing around me. Said he'd give me a try himself.'

'He said what?' Tanya said quietly, her face going pale.

'He was going to rape me. He tried to rape me' Lauren told her

**AN: So Lauren told the truth….. not all of it but there's more chapters to come**

**Do you think Tanya believes her? Will the mother and daughter reconcile?  
Will Tanya be supportive of her relationship with Joey? **

**Find out later…. **

**As always enjoy and R&R. **


	82. Chapter 82

'No…. no I don't believe you' Tanya shook her head 'Derek would never do that' she poured more wine in her glass.

'He had me pinned to the wall, he pushed his leg between mine. He ripped my shirt, he was so close to me I could smell the whiskey he drank, the cigars he smoked, the smell of his aftershave…' Lauren told her 'He undid his trousers and he reached for mine…. He had every intention of raping me' Lauren told her 'the bruises on my neck. They were from Derek too. He squeezed my throat so hard that I thought I was going to pass out, it just outside on the doorstep. We could hear you and dad talking about some stupid film that you'd just seen.' Lauren told her

Tanya looked up at her 'Derek did that?'

'Yes' Lauren said nodding.

Tanya shook her head 'No, no Derek wouldn't do that' she insisted. 'you're mistaken'

'And you wonder why I don't tell you anything' Lauren said 'I'm your daughter! You are supposed to be there for me no matter what. But instead you tell me that I'm useless, lazy, worthless. You tell Abi and Oscar that you are proud of them all the time. You never say that to me. You're too busy calling me a drunken waste of space'

'We've never said'

'Yes you have. If you don't believe me ask Joey. He's heard you' Lauren snapped at her

'Joey…. This all comes back to Joey. He's brainwashed you against all of us' Tanya said

Lauren laughed 'Joey is the only one that has been there for me when I needed someone' she told her mother 'He actually listens to me. He actually cares about me. Joey is the only one who encourages me to do the things that I love. He wants to be to be happy! You say that you miss me but all you miss is someone doing all the housework, running after Oscar all the time, making the meals doing the laundry, running the house' she snapped 'Can you blame when I move out? The second I made that decision it was like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I've got new job, I'm doing well at college. I've moved in to a new flat. I'm making money and you still can't be proud of me can you?' Lauren asked her 'I guess that's too much to ask?' she walked towards the front door.

We haven't finished talking. Don't you dare walk out of the door Lauren' Tanya shouted as she followed her, she grabbed her arm and spun her round almost violently. 'You and Joey. It ends now' Tanya told her

'No' Lauren shook her head

He's your cousin'

'It's not illegal'

'You must know it's wrong otherwise you wouldn't be hiding it'

'We're not hiding it' Lauren replied 'We're waiting for the right time to tell people'

'Sneaking around behind peoples back if that's not hiding it then I don't know what is' Tanya replied 'You're both ashamed because you know what you're doing is wrong. This ends tonight Lauren do you hear me?'

'It's not wrong' Lauren said 'It's not conventional but it isn't wrong. And I am not going to break up with him because you don't like it. I'm not going to be bullied by another member of this family. I love him'

'You love him?' Tanya laughed 'Oh and I suppose he's told you that he loves you too?'

'Yes he does' Lauren nodded 'Joey is the one good thing that's happened to me in a long time and there's nothing that you can do or say that is going to make me hurt him or me'

'Max is going to hit the roof when he finds out' Tanya tried another tactic 'He'll blame all this on Joey' she told her 'You know what Max's temper can be like. Max will kill him, look if you love Joey then call it off and I promise you I won't tell your father'

'If I love Joey?' Lauren frowned 'you're going to blackmail me now. You're as bad as Derek'

'I am nothing Derek!' Tanya snapped at her angrily

'No? You've just threatened me with exactly the same thing he did. Tell dad whatever you want, tell everyone. It won't change the way Joey and I feel about each other' Lauren told her firmly, she turned to the door and opened it.

'Are you sleeping with him?'

'I'm done with this conversation' Lauren said softly

'I asked you a question. Are you sleeping with your cousin?' Tanya's voice was quiet

Lauren sighed 'Why can't you see how happy Joey makes me. How good he is for me?' Lauren looked at her mother 'Why can't you be happy for me for once?'

'Is he good in bed too?' Tanya bit back.

'Yes. Yes as a matter of fact he is.' Lauren replied 'He is amazing in bed mum. The sex with Joey is incredible' Tanya gasped shocked 'What's the matter are you jealous?' Lauren taunted her 'I mean when he first came to the Square you were the one who said if you were 20 years younger'

Tanya slapped her daughter hard across the face and instantly regretted it when she saw the coldness return to Lauren's eyes when she finally looked at her.

'I'll move the rest of my things out tomorrow' Lauren told her and she stepped out of the door

'Lauren …Lauren. I'm sorry' she called after her but Lauren didn't turn around and Tanya didn't go after her. Tanya covered her face with her hands, Sharon was just on her way over and she saw Lauren leave on the verge of tears and she saw Tanya looking pretty much in the same way. She walked up the steps and held up a bottle of wine.

'Looks like you could use this' she said 'and a chat' Sharon closed the door and led Tanya into the kitchen. 'Now why don't you tell me what that was all about?' she asked her

**AN: Will Tanya confess all to Sharon?  
Will Sharon let on that she's known about Lauren and Joey's relationship?**

**Will Lauren turn to the bottle or will she turn to Joey like she promised?**

**What will Max say when Tanya tells him or will she keep it quiet?**

**Enjoy and as always R&R**


	83. Chapter 83

Sharon looked at Tanya' so what was that all about?' Sharon asked her

'I just don't understand that girl' Tanya said shaking her head as she sat down 'She doesn't tell me anything she says I don't listen'

'Do you?' Sharon said from her seat at the table

Tanya frowned 'What does that mean?'

'You told me yourself that Oscar and Abi and Max take up all of your time' Sharon said

'Well Lauren's 19. She's old enough to be able to sort things out on her own. I did when I was her age'

'You had an affair with a married man, got pregnant with Lauren. Was that sorting things out on your own or did part of it have something to do with getting some attention from your own mother?'

Tanya swallowed the wine 'So you think all this is about Lauren acting out to get my attention?' Tanya said a glimmer of hope in her eyes

'Well that depends what I just walked in on the end of' Sharon said

'She told me somethings… I saw her and Joey kissing at the hospital'

'Hospital? Is everything okay?' Sharon asked her 'I didn't know you had a check-up due?'

'It wasn't me it was Lauren'

'Lauren? What happened?'

Tanya opened her mouth to reply and realised that she didn't know the full story 'I… they thought she might have cancer like I did but she got the all clear today'

'Oh I didn't know. Why didn't you say something?'

'I didn't know myself until today. She didn't tell me. I answered her phone and the thought of her going through what I did all by herself… I wanted to be there for her…..' Tanya said 'But when I got there she wasn't alone. Joey was with her.'

'Well that's good isn't it? That she had someone with her?' Sharon said with a frown 'At least she wasn't going through that alone. Like you did'

'I had someone' Tanya said 'I had Lauren' she sighed 'Maybe I misread the kiss between her and Joey….'

'No babe you didn't' Sharon said to her 'they're besotted with each other'

'You knew?' Tanya's head shot up and she looked at her friend accusingly 'You knew and you didn't tell me?'

'It wasn't my place to' Sharon replied 'and I knew how difficult it's going to be for them. They needed someone on their side'

'And that was you. You are supposed to be my friend'

'And I am Tan' Sharon said 'like I said it wasn't my place to tell you'

'So Joey and Lauren… it's serious?'

'They're living together Tanya' Sharon told her

'She said she was just sharing a flat with him, so they could both save rent money' she frowned 'And when she told me that they were involved I didn't even think about the flat, the living arrangements. They're living together' she said stunned

Joey heard the door to the flat shut 'Babe?' he called out. Lauren walked into the bedroom and she picked up her bag and rummaged through it. Her hand clasped around the miniature bottle of vodka and she pulled it out of the bag. Joey saw it and sat up pushing the newspaper off his lap as Lauren sat down on the bed and put her phone beside her 'You found your phone then at your mums?' he asked her

'Yeah' she nodded

He scooted closer to her as she turned to face him, drawing her legs up on to the bed 'What happened to your face?' he saw her reddened cheek and the tear stains.

'Mum slapped me' she told him close to tears.

'Why?' Joey asked her with a frown

'She knows Joey. About us' she told him 'She took a call from the hospital on my phone, she said she was worried and that she came to be with me. She saw us kissing' Lauren explained to him 'She's threatening to tell dad unless I end things with you' she told him 'I told her what Derek tried to do, she didn't believe me' she shook her head. Joey closed his eyes in disbelief 'She said that I must have misunderstood what he was doing…..' she trailed off 'She asked us if we were sleeping together and I was so mad at her and I mouthed off and she slapped me' she told him, Joey could see that her hands were shaking and he saw the little bottle clasped tightly between them. He reached out and he pried it lose from her fingers, she heard the cap unscrew and watched as Joey drank the liquid down, the face he pulled after he had swallowed it made Lauren smile slightly 'If dad finds out he'll go mad Joey, he'll kill you and then me'

'I'm not scared of Max. You think I would be? Derek was my father, I wasn't scared of him, next to him Max is a pussycat' he teased her 'and besides your parents knowing doesn't change the way that we feel' he told her 'and it also means that we don't have to hide anymore' he reminded her 'that's what we wanted hey. To be able to hold hands when we want to, to kiss… to go out on dates?' he asked her 'I'm not going to run off with my tail between my legs, this morning we were facing cancer, tonight it's Max' he shrugged 'It's just another problem that we have to overcome' he told her as he put the lid back on the bottle, putting it down on the bed beside him 'and we will' he put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head

'I told mum that I'd move the rest of my stuff out tomorrow' Lauren told him

'Well I'll come with you. I'm not going to let you go over there alone' he told her 'I can get some boxes from the club. We can have you all packed up in no time and then you will be 100% moved in here' he said and he licked his lips. 'I wish you told me when I called that there was something wrong'

'She was really gunning for you. I didn't want you to be in the line of fire' she admitted to him

'You were protecting me from your mother?' he asked her and she nodded

'The main part of the conversation took place in the kitchen. Where the knives live' she told him

'Good call' he nodded.

'She said that we must know that what we were doing was wrong or we wouldn't be hiding it'

'We both know that's not true' Joey told her 'Hey, we knew that this wasn't going to be easy right? Not everyone is going to take us as well as Alice did' he tilted her chin with his fingers so she looked at him 'This isn't wrong Lauren, we're not a dirty little secret that we're ashamed of. We're in love aren't we hey?' he asked her and she sniffed and nodded 'Well unless you just said that to get me into bed' he teased her gently, Lauren smiled and then laughed 'Ah there's my smile' he said softly 'Trust me babe. We'll get through this I promise' he told her 'Now. Kiss me and then go and take a shower and get ready because we are going out tonight' he told her 'We need to have a celebration'

'Can we just stay in?' she asked him 'I'm not really in the mood to go out'

''One drink at the Vic and then if you're not having fun we'll come home I promise' he said to her

'Okay' she nodded 'On one condition'

'And that is?'

'You wash my back?'

Joey grinned at her 'You got a deal' he said as the door buzzer rang. 'You go in I'll get rid of whoever this is' he told her and he moved forward and he kissed her softly.

Joey got up and went down the stairs and opened the door, he was surprised to see Tanya there.

'Can I come in?' Tanya asked him

'No Tanya you can't' Joey shook his head and he stepped outside pulling the door ajar behind him and crossed his arms over his chest.

'I just want to see Lauren'

'Why do you plan on slapping her again?' Joey asked her

She told you about that?'

'She didn't need to, the hand print on her face said it all'

, I need to apologise' she told him 'Please?'

'Yeah? Well no sorry, not going to happen' he told her firmly.

'You can't stop me from seeing my daughter' Tanya frowned at him

'It's my flat, that means I get to say who does and doesn't come in and guess which list you're on'

'She's my daughter!'

'Yeah and she's my girlfriend and I am not having you upset her again. Not anymore. Every time she comes back from seeing you she's upset and I'm not having it anymore'

'You can't keep me from her'

'I don't need you. You and Max did a pretty good job of pushing her away' Joey snapped at her 'Lauren and I will be over at 11:00am to pack up the rest of her things. If you want to apologise to her you can wait until then' he looked over her head at the people milling about and then turned to go in

'Why are you doing this? You know that this thing between you and Lauren can't go anywhere, ever be anything'

'No. No I don't know that' Joey said as he turned to shut the door

'You should know better, she's your cousin'

'Cousin or not, I love her and she loves me' Joey told her 'and I'm sorry if you don't like that or don't accept that but that's just the way it is' he licked his lips 'You know what…. Actually I'm not sorry' Joey told her

'Joey!' Lauren called out, Joey looked towards the stairs 'I'm waiting!'

'I'll be right there babe' Joey called back. He looked at Tanya 'If you'll excuse me my girlfriend's waiting for me in the shower' he told her with a smirk and he shut the door in her face. He raced back up the stairs and into the flat, stripping off his clothes as he did. Lauren smiled when she felt his arms moved around her as she stood under the water.

'Who was that at the door?' she asked him as he kissed her neck and cupped her breasts in his hands

'Tanya' Joey murmured 'She wanted to apologise. I told her she could it tomorrow when we went to pick up the rest of your things' he said as she turned around in his arms. 'Then I told her that you were waiting for me in the shower' he said biting his bottom lip.

'Joey!' Lauren exclaimed

'No more secrets or lies babe' he said as he pushed her back against the wall of the shower with a grin.

**AN: Protective Joey… everyone has to be a fan right? **

**So what happens next I hear you all ask**

**How will Max react? How will their friends react. **

**How will Lucy react? **

**Well keep reading to fine out**

**As always enjoy and R&R. **


	84. Chapter 84

Joey was right, once she was out she enjoyed herself, although part of that was down to the very enjoyable shower sex. They both drank soft drinks, but they decided not to push any public displays of affection until they were certain that Max knew. And Lauren knew that she had to tell Lucy and that was something she was not looking forward to doing.

The next day Lauren stayed at home instead of going to Booties, figuring she wouldn't be welcome and to be honest she would rather push nails under her fingernails than spend any amount of time with her mother right now. She agreed to meet Joey at 10:00am in the café for a coffee and maybe a cake he'd told her if she was a good girl and did the washing up in the kitchen. She smiled as she remembered that conversation as well as the very naughty but enjoyable things he had done to her on the kitchen floor that mainly consisted of his head buried between her thighs.

She sat at the table with her coffee and her doughnut as she waited for Joey. He came in five minutes later followed by Whitney and Tyler, Joey took a seat next to me.

'Ah just the girl I've been looking for' Tyler said 'Can you please tell Whitney that these are yours and that you left them behind in the washing basket when you moved out?' he pulled a pair of my pink panties out of his pocket. Joey frowned.

'Never seen them before in my life' Lauren deadpanned as Tyler narrowed his eyes at her. Lauren grinned at him 'Yes Whit they're mine. They have the day of the week on the front. Pink is … Wednesday' she told Whitney 'you were there when I brought them' she looked her friend 'I'm always losing my favourite knickers' Whitney grinned at her

'It's too easy I can't say it' she told her

'What? That I just made myself sound like a great big slut?' Lauren asked her and she nodded

'I knew they were yours I just wanted to wind Tyler up' they both giggled

'Oh thank you very much!' Tyler said 'Do you mind if we join you?'

'Sure' Lauren nodded as Tyler handed her the panties back. She stuffed them in her pocket with a grin.

'Oh hey Lauren what happened to your cheek?' Tyler asked her and he shot a look at Joey.

'Mum slapped me' Lauren said 'We had a disagreement'

'Must have been a pretty big disagreement to leave a bruise like that' Tyler replied

'What?' Joey asked her 'Let me see' he said. Lauren frowned at Tyler as Lauren turned to look at Joey, he brushed her hair away from her face and he carefully and tenderly touched her cheek. 'How come I didn't see this this morning?' he asked her. Lauren raised her eyebrows at him in response.

'Right' he said with a hint of a smile on his lips 'does it hurt?' he asked

Whitney noticed the tender interaction between the two of them.

'A little' she replied.

'She's not going to the chance to get near you today' he told her firmly.

'What's happening today?' Tyler asked

'Joey's helping me move out the rest of my things' Lauren told them

'So that's it. You're moving out permanently?' Whitney asked her

'Yep' Lauren nodded

'Well we can give you a hand if you like?' Whitney said 'The more of us there are the quicker we can get it done'

'Yeah?' Joey asked 'That'd be great' he said 'Ty can you give me a hand with the boxes?'

'Yeah of course' he nodded.

'We have to be there at 11:00am' he told them 'I've got them stacked up at the club' he looked at Lauren's doughnut and he reached out and broke a piece off and ate it.

'Hey!' Lauren frowned at him. He broke another piece off and fed it to her

'Thank you' she smiled at him, please with herself for resisting the urge to suck the sugar off his fingers.

'You're welcome babe' he replied without thinking. 'Right I'm going to get a coffee' he told them and he got up,

'Get ours too' Whitney nudged Tyler

'And can you make Joey get me another doughnut please?' Lauren asked her

'Sure'

When they were at the counter Whitney leant across the table 'Is there something you want to tell me?' she asked Lauren 'About you and your mum'

'We just had a huge disagreement and I told her everything that has been bugging me and getting me down… and she slapped me, and that's it I'm done' she told her friend

'There's no way to make amends?'

'No' Lauren said shaking her head 'Not this time'

Lauren and Whitney sat on the steps outside her parent's house waiting for Joey and Tyler to come with the boxes.

'So you and I pack and the boys take them back to your flat?' Whitney said

'Yes sounds good' Lauren said as Tyler and Joey arrived, the two girls stood up and Joey rang the doorbell dead on 11:00am

Abi opened the door and Joey stepped in first and they all headed up the stairs to Lauren's room.

Abi followed 'What's going on?' she asked her sister

'I'm packing the rest of my things Abs' Lauren said as she pulled out a drawer and emptied it into a box 'Whit, can you do the wardrobe?'

'Sure' she nodded.

'Why what's going on?'

'I'm moving out for good. Permanently. So you have a room to yourself' Lauren told her

'Why what's happened?' Abi frowned

'Ask mum' Lauren told her

'I'm calling dad' Abi told her and she rushed out of the room and ran down the stairs.

As the boxes filled Joey and Tyler started to take them back to the flat. When there were three boxes left to fill Tyler and Whitney left Joey and I to finish. We heard dad come into the house followed by mum and Max came up the stairs.

'Lauren what's going on?' he frowned as he saw Joey and I packing cd's and shoes into boxes.

'I'm moving the rest of my stuff out' Laure told him

What that's it no discussion you just sneak in when no one is here?' Max frowned and he looked at Joey 'And you… you help her'

'Mum knew' Lauren replied 'I'm surprised that she didn't tell you' Lauren told him and she closed the lid on another box.

'It this one done' Joey asked her

'Yes thanks' she nodded

'Okay I'll take these two back to the flat' he said and he picked them up and walked to the door 'Will you be okay?' he asked her

'Yes' she nodded and she smiled at him. Joey left and Max sighed

'What's this all about hey?' he asked her 'Look I know we had a bit of a falling out but this…..moving everything out… it'll be like you were never here'

'That's kind of the plan' Lauren said and she looked around the room and she picked up her jewellery box and she looked through it, she pulled out a tiny red box that Tanya had given her and she left if on the bureau and packed the jewellery box.

'What have you done to your cheek?' he asked her

'Ask mum' Lauren replied, Max grabbed her wrist

'I'm asking you'

'Mum slapped me' Lauren said

'Hard enough to leave a bruise?' Max frowned

'Yep'

'Why?' max asked her Lauren opened her mouth to speak 'and don't tell me to ask your mother' he said before she could say anything 'Look darling I know you and your mum have had a row she wouldn't tell me what it was about but she was pretty upset about it, I'm sure if you two sit down and talk things through you can sort it out'

'That's not going to happen dad' Lauren told him shaking her head. 'And to be honest it's not just me and mum it you too and things haven't been right between us since you sent me to America' she told him

'Yeah I know that' Max said 'I know something happened in America…'

'A lot of things happened in America dad. I'm talking about you and mum shipping me off there because you couldn't be bothered to deal with me or even talk to me, to ask me what the problem was' she frowned at him and she moved across the room and checked another drawer.

'I bet Joey's out you up to this hasn't he hey? Filling your head with fancy nonsense?' Max frowned

'Fancy nonsense?' Lauren turned to glare at him 'What you mean like actually encouraging me to pursue my dreams, helping me get a job, helping me get a flat, earn some money, be independent' she frowned at him 'That kind of fancy nonsense?' she asked him. She got down on her hands and knees and pulled some sketch books out from under her bed and put them in the box. She looked around the room 'Well I think that's everything' she said, she started to do the lid up on the last box

'So that's it no explanation?' Max asked her

'You want an explanation?' Lauren frowned at him 'All right. Uncle Derek tried to rape me. I told mum she didn't believe me' she told him 'And I'm sleeping with Joey' she added and she picked up one of the boxes and carried it down the stairs leaving Max dumbfounded in her room.

**AN: Subtle Lauren! **

**So hope you are enjoying the story please take the time to review only takes a few seconds! Makes an author smile. **

**No more chapters tonight I'm afraid. Back tomorrow. **


	85. Chapter 85

'Lauren is that you?' she heard Tanya call from the kitchen. Lauren put the box down as Max came down the stairs

'What do you mean Derek tried to rape you? When was this? Why didn't you tell me? What the hell was he playing at?' he growled angrily

'I tried to tell to mum when it happened but she wasn't interested' Lauren told him with a frown as Tanya came down the hallway.

'Have you seen what you've done to her face hey Tan?' Max grabbed Lauren's chin and turned her head towards Lauren a little rougher than he meant to

'Ow! Get off me!' Lauren snapped at him

'Lauren I'm sorry' Tanya said as she saw the bruise 'I didn't mean…'

'You didn't mean to do a lot of things' Lauren said 'like keep me for one' she frowned. The door opened as Joey came in and he saw the three of them huddled in the hallway and how angry Lauren looked. 'This is the last of them' she said. Joey took the boxes from her and he put them outside

'Are you ready to go babe?' he asked her and she nodded

'Now hold on a second…. You can't just disappear after telling me what you did upstairs. About Derek and …..' he looked at Joey and he frowned as the second part of Lauren's revelation clicked in his brain 'What do you mean you're sleeping with Joey?'

'Joey and I are together. He's my boyfriend and we're living together' Lauren told him 'And frankly I don't really care what you think about it, if you like it or not, because as far as I am concerned you're not my family anymore… Joey is' she told them and she pushed passed Joey to get out of the house.

Joey looked at Max and Tanya and then followed Lauren. They carried the last of the boxes back to the flat where Lauren started to unpack. 'Are you okay?' he asked her

She turned to look at him and she smiled 'Yes I'm fine' she told him 'Now I don't ever have to go back there again' she told him. Joey thought about Oscar and Abi, but chose not to mention it as she seemed so happy.

'You told your dad about us?' he asked her

'Mmhmm' she opened a box and found it was full of dvds and cds, she picked it up and carried it into the lounge and put it down by the tv.

'And you told him what exactly?' he asked her as someone began ringing the buzzer on the door continuously, Joey guessed it was Max

'I told him that I was sleeping with you' she said sheepishly and she looked up at him 'I'm sorry it just came out of my mouth before I could stop it…..'

'Well I'm guessing that's Max and we'd better let him in' he told her

'I'll go' Lauren said

'No I will' he replied. He walked down the stairs and he opened the door to see a red faced Max standing there

'I think you and I need to talk don't you?' Max asked him

'You better come in' Joey said standing aside. Max blinked, clearly not expecting the invitation

'Yeah I better had' he replied

'I'm warning you Max, if you upset Lauren then I will throw you out myself' Joey told him as he closed the door behind him.

Lauren was sitting cross legged on the floor going through her pile of dvd's and cd's and comparing them with Joey's. He smiled when he saw she had made of pile of ones they had both got.

'You and Lauren? How long as this been going on?'

'A while' Joey said 'but we didn't actually get together until January' he told him 'Look Max I know we should have told you sooner, but there were factors that you don't know anything about. Derek for one.'

'Derek knew?' Max asked

'Yes. He threatened us both, more Lauren really that if we continued to pursue this that he would tell you and Tanya and Lauren and I weren't really certain about our feelings for each other at that point, not sure we if should risk everything just so we could be together'

'But you're certain now?'

'Yes' Joey said 'I love her'

Max blinked and he looked at Lauren 'Do you love him?' he asked her. She looked up at him

'Yes. I do' she told him. Max sighed and he looked at them both

'Why didn't you come to me about this sooner hey? I could have sorted Derek out'

'You were scared of Derek dad' Lauren said rolling her eyes 'Anyone could see that' Lauren said 'Everyone was' she looked down

'Who else knows about you two?'

'Alice, you and Tanya and Sharon' Joey said 'We didn't tell anyone because we wanted to work out our feelings before we started sharing our relationship with everyone and we wanted to tell you, Tanya and Alice first' Joey explained. 'Sharon guessed'

Lauren picked up a cd and she looked at it and stood up and she held it out to Max 'This is Oscars favourite. If he can't sleep… he used to come into bed with me and we'd watch this' she said to Max 'I promised Joey and I would take him to the zoo' she told him

Max nodded 'I'll clear things with your mother. Maybe in half term?' she nodded as Max took the dvd. He sighed 'I came over here to give you a piece of my mind' he told Joey

'I guessed as much' Joey replied 'Look Max, Lauren and I are happy' Joey told him 'I love her and I'm not going to do anything to hurt her'

Max sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his hand over his head 'This is what you want? Joey is what you want?' he asked Lauren

'Yes and he's what I need' she replied

'Okay… then you won't get any grief from me' Max told them 'I just want you to be happy Lauren that's all' he told her 'And if Joey does that then that makes me happy. You leave your mother to me' he told her 'and if you need anything… you know where I am' he said to her. She blinked surprised and she nodded

Max sighed 'Well I suppose I better get back. Talk to your mother' he said and he looked at Joey 'And if you put one foot out of line with my daughter then you and I are going to have words' he told Joey. 'Oh here' he said and he pulled out a cheque and he handed it to Lauren 'It was for your Paris course, but I'm guessing you won't be going, so call it a house warming present' Max said. Lauren took the cheque and she saw the date on it, the date Max had screwed the forms up and put them in the bin. 'And I'm sorry Lauren. What Derek tried to do. I'm even more sorry that you felt as though you couldn't come to me about it' he said and his voice cracked 'No one hurts my little girl' he told her. Lauren felt her own eyes fill with tears

'You believe me?' she asked him and Max nodded

'Course I do' he told her surprised that she didn't know that 'You wouldn't lie about something like that' Lauren sniffed, blinking back her tears 'Look maybe when things have calmed down a little you and I can have a chat yeah, a proper father daughter chat?' he asked her, she shrugged 'Well you let me know all right Lauren?' she nodded and sniffed again.

'I'll show you out' Joey said

'I can manage' Max replied. He walked to the door and opened it and turned round to see Joey take Lauren in his arms and kiss the top of her head. He closed the door quietly behind him and went back home.

**AN: So did Max take it the way that you expected?  
Will Lauren forgive him? **

**When will they start to tell their friends? **

**Read and review as always. **

**A special thanks to my guest reviewers, Dee, C and Ashleigh…. Thank you for taking the time guys, much appreciated. Please keep reviewing. Any other guest reading the story please take the time to review. It's really easy, take less than a minute **** Don't be shy now! **


	86. Chapter 86

At the club that night Sharon and Joey were showing Lauren where the mixers went. Lauren was going to have her first shift and she was feeling a little nervous.

'Relax Lauren, you're not going in front of a firing squad. You're just serving drinks to a club full of punters' Sharon said

'Sorry' Lauren said 'I'm just worried in case I do something wrong' she admitted 'Or I overcharge someone.

'I'm okay with overcharging' Sharon told her with a grin. 'Well I am going to leave you in Joey's very capable hands and let him the show you the ropes' she told her smiling at Lauren's faint blush 'I'll be in my office' Lauren watched her walk away and then turned to Joey

'Okay are you ready?' he asked her

'Yes' she nodded

'These are you keys to the tills' Joey told her 'They clip to your waistband and they extend and retract' he explained to her and he secured the keys to her trousers, his hands lingered longer on her waist than was necessary. Lauren smiled up at him 'And the tills, you've got a log in so we can track what you put in and take out of the till' he led her over to one 'So you put the key on here and your name comes up on the display, automatically unlocking all the buttons. And all the drinks are listed on here' Lauren watched as Joey showed her the lists and how to go forward and backwards, he glanced at her face and he smiled 'Don't worry if you get stuck just shout' he told her 'And the tip jar is at the back of the bar so if someone offers to buy you a drink you can take the money and out it in here.'

'Got it' she nodded

''And we split the tips between us' he continued. 'Is there anything else you need to know?'

'What if someone wants a cocktail?'

'Yell out and I'll fix it' he told her

'Okay, well I think I know what I'm doing' she said and she looked around 'Hopefully it'll start off quietly so I can get my feet'

'I'll be here the whole time' he told her and he kissed her neck softly 'you will do fine' he told her

'Okay well I am going to the bathroom and then I will be ready' she told him

Half an hour later the club had started to fill and Lauren found that she was having enjoying herself. She saw Tyler, Whitney and Lucy walk in and head towards the bar. Lauren smiled at the girl she was serving and handed her the drinks,

' £12.60 please' Lauren said

The girl handed her the money and Lauren rang it up in the till and gave her the change. She found she had the key stuck and she turned to look at Joey 'HELP' she mouthed at him. He came down the bar

'What's wrong?' Joey asked her

'I'm stuck my key won't come loose' she told him.

'Okay let's have a look' he said he looked at the display 'You need to press finish' he told her and he pressed the button and it released Lauren's key

'Oh! I forgot about that' she told him with a grin.

'Will you be okay here on your own for a second? I need to get some vodka from the cellar'

'Sure' she nodded. She saw a group of guys walk up to the bar and she went over to serve them. Tyler, Whitney and Lucy came waited at the bar and Lauren worked her way over to them. 'Hi what can I get you?' she asked them

'Our usual please' Whitney smiled 'so how are you getting on?'

'Good I think' she said as she got the their drinks ready, she put them down in front of them and Tyler paid

'You unpacked yet?' Tyler asked her

'We did a few boxes but not all of them' Lauren said

'What's this?' Lucy asked her

'I moved out of mum and dads today. All of my stuff. I've moved in with Joey' she told Lucy,

'I thought you were staying at Tyler's'

'In a one bedroomed flat where I was sleeping on the sofa' Lauren told her 'it wasn't permanent'

'You could have moved in with us. We have a spare room' Lucy said

'Yeah live under the same roof as Ian Beale? Yeah it don't think so' Lauren said as Joey came back 'Well I've got to get back to work'

As the night passed Lucy sat herself at the bar watching Joey, Lauren grew more and more annoyed by the second and she went over to Lucy.

'I'd like another vodka' she told Lauren

'Fine but this is your last one' Lauren told her as she poured her a drink

'That's rich coming from you. You are going to cut me off?' she frowned at her

'I'm not doing this with you Lucy' she told her and she turned and walked away. Lucy watched as she talked to Joey and he turned to look at her and then whispered something in her ear.

When the night ended, the club was empty and Lauren and Joey cleaned up. Joey took the money to the safe, Lauren leant against the wall waiting for him.

He came out of the office and he looked at her, he smiled as he crossed the room, he tilted her face to his and kissed her 'Let's go home' he said, he put his arm around her shoulders as they walked up the steps. 'So how was your first night?'

'Good I think' she nodded 'I didn't break any glasses and I don' think I over or undercharged anyone' she told him 'I really enjoyed it' she said to him 'Oh and I got 8 guys phone numbers' she grinned at him

'Did you. I got 6' he told her

'We should keep them in a glass behind the bar next to the tip jar, see how many we both have at the end of the month' she said and she looked at him as he locked the door of the club.

Are you sure you want to do this?' he asked her

'I have 2 more than you tonight are you afraid you are going to lose?' she asked him

'So what does the winner get?' Joey asked her, Lauren frowned

'I don't know'

'Got to make it something interesting' he told her 'If you want to play this game'

'Well what kind of thing can it be?' she asked him as they started walking towards the flat

'Anything, everything, whatever you like' he told her 'But we don't tell each other what it is until we count them at the end' he said 'And whatever the other says they want the other one has to do'

Lauren looked at him and she nodded

'Agreed. You have a deal Mr Branning' Lauren stopped walking and turned to Joey holding out her hand. They shook hands and smiled at each other.

Joey put his arm around her shoulders again as they walked back to the flat.

'Have you got your keys?' Lauren asked him

'Yeah' he nodded and he unlocked the door and they went inside and Lauren went in to kitchen and she looked out of the window, Joey walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her back against him 'Are you tired baby?'

'No. I feel strangely awake' she told him turning to look at him 'Thank you for today…it made it a lot easier with you being there with me'

'Any time' he said with a smile, Lauren moved into this arms and they held each other.

**AN: So Lauren's first night at work and they made a little wager. **

**Wonder what they both want from the other? Any ideas? **

**So.. this chapter was mostly filler but get ready for some more sex, drama, tears and tantrums!**

**Please review and enjoy reading**


	87. Chapter 87

Whitney and Lauren went into town Sunday, as Lauren wanted to buy some furnishings for the flat. Whitney looked at Lauren curiously as she flipped through some fabric for curtains.

'I thought you had curtains' she said

'Yeah we do but these are for the bedroom, the ones that are in there are horrible and brown' she told Whitney 'Joey of course says that there's nothing wrong with them but they don't match the rest of the room' Lauren told her 'There's of stuff that we don't have. Joey borrowed a lot of stuff from the kitchen at Alice's and sooner or later they're going to notice things missing' Lauren said

'How come Joey's not helping you buy this stuff?'

'Because you are my best friend' Lauren turned and grinned at her 'and besides Joey thinks the brown curtains are fine so clearly he has no taste' she told her

'And he's okay? With you all buying all this?' Whitney asked her 'I mean I thought it was only until you get a place of your own, you seem to be going to a lot of trouble to decorate the place I mean if you are only going to be staying there for a short time'

'Well it could be a while until I find the right place' Lauren said with a shrug 'I just want the place to be nice is all'

Whitney grinned 'You want to make it nice so that Joey won't kick you out'

Lauren pulled out her phone and took a picture of the curtains and then another set she had seen and she sent them to Joey. His phone beeped from the bar and he picked it up and looked at it and then showed Tyler 'She's curtain shopping for the bedroom' he told him 'we have beige curtains, which are fine but she's insisting she needs to buy another colour'' he told him. Tyler smiled at him

'She wants to make it look nice' he said as Joey's phone rang

'Hey babe' he answered 'Look whatever curtains you want to buy I'm sure they will be fine' he said to Lauren

'You supposed to be helping me' she complained down the phone to him

'I like the brown ones' he replied 'and you are supposed to be telling Whitney about us' he reminded her 'like we talked about last night remember?'

'Yes I know' she frowned and she turned to look at Whitney who was distracted over the other side of the store 'and actually I thought we were going to tell people together. I've told Tyler, Ant, mum dad and you've told exactly one person… Alice' she reminded him

'Actually I've told two' he replied

'Who else have you told?' Lauren frowned

'Mum' Joey said

'You told your mum? When?' she asked him

'That's a longer story than we have time for right now' he said 'and I like the cream curtains' he told her with a smile 'I'll see you when you get back' he told her 'Love you'

'Love you too' Lauren smiled and she hung up, she picked up the cream curtains and took them to the counter to pay. She joined Whitney a few minutes later 'ready?'

'Are we done now?' she asked her friend holding up the bags she was holding 'It's almost 4pm'

'Yep for now' she said

The girls got a taxi back to Walford and Whitney helped Lauren up to her flat with the bags and followed her inside.

'Wow this is a nice flat' Whitney said 'Way nicer than Ty's' Whitney said as Lauren went into the bedroom.

'Come and look at these!' Lauren called.

Whitney went through to the bedroom, 'Urgh they are hideous!' she said looking at the brown curtains

'Right? And these ones will lighten the room a little' she held up the cream ones she had purchased.

'You want to put them up now don't you?' Whitney asked her, Lauren smiled at her broadly

'Yes please, I want to unpack everything and surprise Joey when we get back later with all the things I brought; he told her

'All right come on then' Whitney shrugged her coat off, draping it on the bed. The girls worked tirelessly to put everything where Lauren wanted it. When they were done she smiled as she looked around

'See now it looks better' Lauren looked at Whitney 'What do you think?' she asked her

'Yeah it does it looks more homely'

'Joey's going to love it' Lauren grinned at her. He phone rang and she rushed into the bedroom to get it, after a brief conversation she hung up 'that was Joey' she called out 'wondering where we are'

Whitney went into the bedroom to pick up her coat and saw Lauren open one of the bedside tables and she looked through it, she found Joey's wallet and she turned to see Whitney looking at her

'Joey keeps his wallet in here?' she asked her 'I thought you slept in here and Joey was on the sofa bed'

Lauren grinned sheepishly 'Actually we both sleep in here' she told her 'me and Joey are together'

Whitney blinked at her 'You and Joey… you the girlfriend he keeps talking about?' Lauren nodded 'you and Joey?'

'Are you freaked out?'

Whitney shook her head 'I knew it' she said 'I said something to Tyler the other night and he told me to stop being silly'

'You weren't being silly'

'Does Lucy know?'

'No' Lauren said 'That's something that I still have to do. I was planning on doing it tomorrow' she said

'If you want me to be there with you when you tell her I will' she said

'Thanks I might hold you to that' Lauren said and she looked at Whitney 'Are you really okay with this?'

'Am I really in a position to judge?' Whitney asked her 'After what's happened in my life?' Whitney smiled 'You both do seem kind of happy and of course this shopping trip makes a lot more sense now. You two are living together' Lauren nodded

'Yeah we are' Lauren said 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you before it's not that I didn't want to, I just…we needed to tell my parents first and Alice and ….Joey said he told his mum, I don't know when but he said he would tell me later' Lauren walked to the wardrobe and she grabbed a jacket and she pulled it on. 'I didn't want you to have to hide it from Lucy….you know how she's been acting lately.'

'It's okay Lauren' Whitney said 'I'm really pleased for you' she said and she crossed the room and gave her friend a hug 'We can double date' she grinned 'I can't wait to tell Tyler I was right!'

'Tyler already knows' Lauren said 'He caught us and I had to come clean. I asked him not to tell you because I wanted to…. Please don't be mad at me or at Tyler' Lauren said to her

'That little weasel!' Whitney said and she frowned 'He and I will be having words!' Whitney looked at Lauren and she grinned at her 'I'm kidding its fine honestly' she told her 'I'm just you glad told me'

'I'm glad too. I hate keeping things from you' Lauren told her truthfully 'And we're okay?'

'Yes we're okay' Whitney said grabbing her coat 'Come on lets go to the Vic' she told her, they left the flat arm in arm.

They walked into the Vic at 7pm and Whitney saw the boys before Lauren did and she watched as Joey's face lit up as he saw Lauren. They brought their drinks and joined them at the table 'Hello baby' Tyler said as Whitney leaned in for a kiss.

Joey smiled at Lauren 'Hi, get everything you wanted?' he asked her as she handed him his wallet 'Thank you' he said

'Yes' she nodded 'Whit and I unpacked everything and sorted the flat out' she told him as she sat down next to him, she let her hand drop under the table and she squeezed his thigh' I hope you like it' she said

'He'd better like it' Whitney said 'after all the slaving I've done to help you' she said, she noticed that one of Joeys and Lauren's hands were missing 'are you groping under the table?'

'It's how we say hello' Lauren poked her tongue out at Whitney who did it back.

'You told her?' Joey asked her and she nodded

'Yes I told her, I said I would and she said she's really grossed out and that I could do better!' Lauren grinned at him

'You are such a funny girl' he told her and he picked up his coke and took a drink

'So Whit knows now too?' Tyler asked

'Yes I do and you and I will be having words' she told him playfully 'Keeping something like this from me'

'We asked him to Whit' Joey told her as he took Lauren's hand off his thigh and held her hand.

The group laughed and joked together and made arrangements to go out on a double date next weekend to the Silver Fox where Lauren and Joey could completely relax and be themselves. Lauren yawned and Joey looked at her

'You ready to go babe?' he asked her

'Yeah shopping's really hard work' she told him 'besides I want to see what you think of the flat' she told him excitement sparkling in her eyes

'I'm sure that I'll love it' he told her softly. 'Okay guys we will see you later. Whit thank for helping Lauren today'

'You're welcome' she grinned at him as they couple stood up.

'Yeah thanks Whit' Lauren echoed and she gave her a friend a quick hug. 'You're the best'

**AN: So Whit has been told.. so there's only one person to go Lucy. And how nice is Whit to say that she will be there with Lauren when she tells her? **

**Do you think Joey will like the changes that Lauren has made to the flat? **

**Well you'll find out in the next chapter.**

**As always please read and review. **

**Thank you to all who have reviewed so far it really means a lot that you take the time to say a few words… thank you again.**


	88. Chapter 88

They left the Vic and Lauren smiled and looped her arm through Joeys and she leant on his shoulder 'Are you really tired?' he asked her

'I am a little' she told him 'But the walk home will probably wake me up a little'

They talked quietly on the way back to the flat and Lauren leant up against the wall as Joey searched for his keys, he unlocked the door and let Lauren go in first. He closed the door and locked it as Lauren flicked the lights on. He saw all the new rugs, lampshades, and ornaments that she had brought scattered over the lounge. He saw the cushions on the sofa, she took his hand and led him into the kitchen, she opened a couple of cupboards and showed him the plates and cups and other bits and pieces she had brought. 'Is it too much?' she asked him

'No not at all' he told her 'You have been a busy girl'

'Do you like it? It's not too girly?' she asked him

'No, it's great I love it' he told her

'Really or are you just saying that?' she asked him with a frown 'I know I may have gone a little bit overboard … I can take stuff back' she chewed worriedly on her bottom lip

'Don't you dare' he told her with a scowl 'I love it honestly!' he said and he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him and he kissed her softly. 'You are not going to take anything back, I promise you babe I love it' he whispered against her lips

Lauren smiled as she ran her hands over his chest and circled them around his neck 'It's not too much?'

'No it isn't. It looks more like a home' he told her 'and that's what this is. Our first home' he licked his lips and he smiled at her as he walked her backwards, she felt her back hit the kitchen wall by the window and Joey kissed her again, she moaned into his mouth, her fingers made quick work of the buttons on his shirt and she pushed it off his shoulders, she undid his jeans next and slid her hand inside and rubbed his growing erection firmly. She pushed him back a little and she dropped to her knees and took him into her mouth. He gasped loudly closing his eyes. Lauren brought him to orgasm easily and then stood up with a satisfied grin on her face as she licked her lips

'You are so good at that' he told her, 'But now that means that I get to play' he told her with a mischievous glint in his eye. Lauren backed away from him and then darted passed the window, he grabbed her wrist and he pulled her back to him.

From outside, hidden in the shadows someone was watching the flat. They saw two figures at the window. One of them was clearly Joey, but they weren't sure who the other was, until Joey suddenly pulled them back to face him and her profile was clear through the window. Joey bent his head and kissed her. The Peeping Tom gasped in shock.

Joey was kissing Lauren. Lauren Branning and Joey Branning were clearly much more than just cousins.

The Peeping Tom stared as Joey pushed Lauren's jacket off her shoulders and then peeled off her t-shirt, his hands moved to her back and undid her bra.

The Peeping Tom's eyes filled with tears of hurt and anger. Lauren Branning was going to pay for this. She was going to be sorry that she ever met Joey Branning. Oh she was going to be very sorry indeed.

Joey and Lauren disappeared from view and the Peeping Tom turned and walked away to plan what they were going to do. They let themselves into the house and closed the door behind them, they could hear the tv on in the next room, they took a moment to compose themselves before they went inside.

'All right love? Have a good night?'

'Yes thanks. I'm tired I'm going to go to bed. Night dad'

'Night Lucy' he dad replied.

**AN: Oh so Lucy has found out. Spying on people never really pays off does it! **

**So what do you think happens next?**

**Hope you are enjoying this story. Thanks for all those of you who rad and review. And thanks to Crazychick who has persuaded me not to stop but to keep going with this story! **

**Enjoy and as always R&R**


	89. Chapter 89

Lauren woke before Joey did and she felt incredibly horny even after the events of last night, she turned over to look at Joey, she got up and hurried to the bathroom and then came back and climbed into bed and she shook him. 'Joey! Joey! Wake up' she whispered, when she got no reaction she shook him harder 'JOEY!' she said a little bit louder than she intended. Joey jerked in his sleep and his eyes snapped open.

'What is it? What's wrong?' he asked her urgently 'Are you okay?' his eyes swept over her for signs of injury

'Nothing's wrong. Relax' Lauren said quietly 'Sorry I didn't mean to shout' she told him sheepishly

Joey rubbed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair 'What time is it?'

Her eyes moved to the clock on the bedside table and she realised it was earlier than she thought '5:30am' she told him, he noticed she looked guilty and he frowned slightly.

'Babe it's really early! You know I like having a lie in on a Monday' he frowned at her

'Sorry go back to sleep' she said

'Yeah with my heart racing in my chest, I'm going to fall right back to sleep' he gave her an annoyed look and he lay back down on the bed 'I thought someone was breaking in or you were hurt or the flat was on fire or something' he covered his face with his hands and let out a breath

'I'm sorry' she said again and she lay down beside him looking up at the ceiling. He sighed and he got up and walked through to the bathroom. Lauren closed her eyes and then got up and pulled on her short grey robe and tied it. She walked through to the kitchen and filled the kettle and walked to the window as she waited for the kettle to boil. Joey frowned when he went back to the bedroom and found Lauren gone.

'Come back to bed' Joey told her as he padded barefoot and naked into the kitchen. Lauren turned to look at him and she shook her head, he didn't miss the way her eyes swept appreciatively over his naked body before she forced her eyes back to his.

'I'm awake now' she told him

'Yeah so am I thanks to you' he replied

'I really am sorry Joey I didn't realise that it was that early I just I woke up and I was …' she trailed off 'Sorry' she said again

Joey smiled 'Is my girl horny?'

She blushed and nodded 'A little' she admitted to him. He walked over to her and switched the kettle off and took her hand and led her back towards the bedroom

'Well then I better see what I can do about then hadn't I?' he asked her, Lauren grinned widely behind his back. Joey turned her round to face him 'I think you might be a little overdressed' he told her and he undid her robe and pulled it open and let his eyes wander lazily over her body. 'God you are so beautiful' he murmured softly. He slid the robe off her and he bent down and carefully picked her up in his arms and he walked to the bed and he lay her down on it and moved over her, kissing her neck and throat. She brought her knees up as far as she could cradling his body between her legs.

'How do you want it babe?' he asked her

'Hard… slow' she murmured as she felt his cock pressing against her.

'Are you sure?' he asked as his fingers found her clit and started to massage it in slow lazy circles, before he pressed a finger inside her 'Baby you're so wet' he groaned against her neck

'I'm sure Joey.. please…. hard and slow' she told him again. Joey removed his finger and thrust inside her in one swift hard movement. She cried out loudly as Joey filled her completely and then he withdrew slowly almost pulling out of her completely and thrust inside her again, rewarding him with another cry. Joey repeated the motion several times and as Lauren tightened her legs around him, he sank in deeper inside of her, they both groaned loudly. He increased his pace 'No! Slow!' Lauren protested breathlessly

'I can't babe' Joey's voice was close to her ear 'You feel too fucking good!'

Her insides trembled when he said that as they always did when he described what she felt like when he was inside her.

'How good?' she asked him and Joey grinned

'You are so tight baby, you fit around me like you were made for me' he murmured in her ear 'and you are so wet, all I have to do is look at you and you get so wet for me don't you?'

'Yes' she gasped 'only for you …. OH!' she exclaimed as he added a small rotation of his hips as he thrust inside her. His arms were trembling next to Lauren's head as he held his weight off her, Lauren touched his wrists and he clasped her hands one at a time their fingers linked their hands and he moved them up over her head, bending her arms at the elbow, he thrust in her again harder than she ever thought was possible and she let out a long deep groan.

'Fuck! Joey!' she whimpered beneath him, he was close but not quite, she needed more, her clit was feeling very left out. 'Joey need more' she murmured

Knowing what she needed he let go of one of her hands and he slid his hand between her legs and found her neglected clit and he rubbed it roughly with his thumb, Lauren gasped and jerked against him.

'Come on baby let me feel you coming around me' he whispered 'I love the way you feel when you clench and ripple around me. You know how much I love it' he told her 'You know how much it turns me on when you scream out my name when I'm inside you, fucking you…..let me hear you, let me hear how I make you feel baby'

'Joey.. JOEY! ' Lauren cried out repeating his name over and over again 'MORE HARDER! FASTER!'

Joey happily obliged, feeling his balls tingling he knew he was close and he pinched her clit hard. She exploded around him and screamed loudly before burying her face in his shoulder, she bit down with her teeth and Joey throbbed inside her

'Shit..LAUREN…LAUREN! FUCK!' he cried out as he pumped his semen inside her his eyes rolling into the back of his head, she cried out again when she felt him coming inside her and her orgasm intensified. A few moments later when he was spent he collapsed on top of her, both of them breathing unevenly. He turned his head towards her and kissed her neck, she turned her head to his and they kissed softly, his tongue licked the seam of her lips and she opened her mouth to let him slide his tongue inside. They kissed for long leisurely moments and she felt him growing hard inside her again she opened her eyes to look at him as he moved inside her gently, she gasped screwing her eyes shut as she felt a slight pain.

'Are you too sore babe?' he asked her concerned.

'Never for you' she said truthfully

'I'll be gentle baby' he whispered against her lips.

Later Joey's head was resting on her stomach and he watched his fingers as they drew circles around Lauren's belly button 'You have a scar here' he said noticing a little mark in and above her belly button.

'Oh yeah I had my belly button pierced a few years ago but I took it out and let it heal over' she told him

'Why'd you take it out?'

'It's when I was pregnant' she told him 'after I decided that I was going to keep the baby'

'Oh' he said softly and he kissed her bellybutton softly and he turned his head to look at her.

'You never told me about telling your mum about us' Lauren said to him changing the subject

'I talked about you when I went back there after dad died' he said 'She knew that it was more than his death that was worrying me. She eventually got me to talk about it after you called for like the 20th time. She was a bit surprised at first when she found out I was worrying about a girl' he told her 'she said that it wasn't like me to worry over a girl and the fact that I was must mean that she was pretty special' he said and he smiled at her, she returned the smile shyly. 'and with a little coaxing from mum I told her about you, about the kisses we shared, how you made me feel when I was around you, that I couldn't stop thinking about you.' He told her as he moved to lie level with her. She caught his hand in his, pressing their palms together and fitting their fingers together, he brought their joined hands together and kissed the back of her hand. 'And mum told me that I should come back and see how you felt and if you felt the same way that I should hope that you would forgive me for being a total ass' he said 'I told her that we were cousins and she was a little surprised at first but then she said that you can't help who you fall in love with and you shouldn't throw away a chance at happiness because other people might not like it.' he kissed her hand again 'She practically kicked me out that night told me stop being a coward, because if you were as beautiful and special as I said you were that it wouldn't be long before someone else noticed and stole you away from me'

'I like your mum'' Lauren said softly 'She sounds like a very wise lady'

'Yeah she is' he said and he smiled 'I can't wait for you to meet her' he told her 'She'll be thrilled and surprised. I've never taken a girl home before' he admitted to her

'What if she doesn't want to meet me'

'She does' he nodded 'She's already told me that she expects to meet you very soon'

'What if she doesn't like me?'

'Baby she'll love you, just like I do, just like Alice does' he promised her 'You have nothing to worry about'

Lauren smiled at him. Taking a little comfort from his words, but also feeling nervous about meeting his mother, her aunt, she hoped he wouldn't plan it soon.

**AN: So hope you enjoyed the chapter. Joey's already told his mum about Lauren before they even got together he must have it bad hey! **

**So a little bit of sexploits in this chapter too. Hope you enjoyed! **

**Anyhoo….next chapter later today. **

**As always R&R. **


	90. Chapter 90

Whilst Joey was in the shower Lauren called Whitney and asked her if she could come over.

When she arrived five minutes later Lauren made then both a coffee and they sat on the sofa

'So what's up?' Whitney asked her

'Actually I was hoping for moral support and a pep talk' Lauren said to her 'I'm going to tell Lucy today about me and Joey'

'Good luck with that'

'I know she's going to freak out isn't she?' Lauren asked her

'Maybe, maybe not' Whitney said 'you know what Lucy is like she blows hot and cold. Besides it's not like Joey gave her any encouragement is it? You've told her until you are blue in the face that he was seeing someone else' Whitney tried to make her friend feel better and she sighed 'She's going to be pissed off that you kept it from her, but after a couple of days she'll forget about it and it'll blow over you'll see' she told her 'Especially when she sees how happy you and Joey are together'

Lauren nodded 'We really are' she said and she grinned 'He's just … incredible'

'You've got it bad haven't you?' she asked her Lauren nodded

'Yes really really bad. I love him Whit' she told her friend

'I can see that' she said with a smile 'So where's Joey anyway?'

'In the shower'

'What you only just up?'

'Nope we've been up since 5:30am' Lauren smirked 'but we have only just gotten out of bed'

'Lauren Branning!' Whitney exclaimed giggling 'The poor boy, no wonder he looks so tired all the time!'

Lauren grinned as the shower door opened 'Babe?' Joey called out

'In the lounge with Whitney' she called out warning him as he had a habit of walking around naked. Not that she was complaining she just didn't want Whitney to ogle him.

'Hi Whit' Joey called out. He grabbed a shirt from his drawer and was pulling it on as he walked out of the bedroom giving Whitney a glimpse of his six pack. Lauren scowled at him as he bent down and gave her a kiss.

'Hi Joey' Whitney grinned, clearly appreciating the sneaky peek.

'Where's my coffee?' he asked Lauren as he stole another kiss

'In the coffee jar' Lauren replied with a grin

'Charming after I gave you breakfast in bed' Joey threw over his shoulder as he went into the kitchen.

'Are you sure you've got time for coffee? Its 10:30am aren't you supposed to meeting the delivery van at the club in like 5 minutes?'

'Fuck I forgot' he cursed from the kitchen, he grabbed his keys and his wallet and jacket Lauren got up and walked to the door with him. 'See what happens when you wake me up in the early hours of the morning? My memory goes to pot' he said as he turned to kiss her 'Good luck with you know what'

'Thank you' she said reaching up for another kiss cupping the back of his head with her hand keeping him in place. Whitney averted her eyes as Lauren deepened the kiss, Joey groaned softly a few moments later as he reluctantly broke the kiss.

'I gotta go babe. Love you' he told her in a low voice

'Love you too' Lauren replied with a smile as she let him go.

She closed the door and she turned to look at Whitney 'so…Lucy' she said

'How do you plan to tell her?'

'Would a text be wrong?' Lauren asked

'Yes' Whitney said 'She's been one of your best friends for years Lauren I think you can do better than a text message' she scolded her as Lauren sat down on the sofa again 'You could write a message on the menu boards in the Café. Lauren Loves Joey' Whitney grinned.

'Actually I like that idea' Lauren said seriously 'that would also let everyone else know too. Kill two birds with one stone'

'I was joking Lauren' Whitney told her

'Yeah I know' she said and she sighed 'Okay so I guess I better do this hey?'

'Yep' Whitney nodded. She waited in the lounge while Lauren got ready.

Ten minutes later they were walking towards the square, they stopped at the café but Lucy wasn't there. They tried the chip shop next and the fruit and veg stall. They walked passed Tyler

'Hey have you seen Lucy?' they asked him

'Yeah saw her about 10 minutes ago walking towards the tube, dressed up in a power suit' he said

'Thanks' the girls ran towards the tube station and they saw who they thought was Lucy climbing the stairs.

'Lucy!' Lauren and Whitney both called out but she carried on walking as if she didn't hear them.

'Maybe she didn't hear us' Whitney said to her

'Yeah probably' Lauren said 'Well I guess I'll have to find her later' she pulled out her phone and she dialled Lucy's number. It rang seven times before it went to voice mail. 'Hey Luce, its Lauren. Listen there's something that I need to talk to you about. Can you call me when you get this and we can arrange to meet up somewhere? Thanks bye'

'Well I guess that's all I can do right?' she asked and Whitney nodded 'Thanks for offering moral support'

You're welcome. See you and Joey in the Vic tonight? About 7pm'

'Yeah unless I'm with Lucy' Lauren said 'Or lying dead in a ditch somewhere!'

**AN: So what Lauren doesn't know is that Lucy already knows. Is Lucy going to meet Lauren and let her tell her or is she going to confront Joey or even Lauren?**

**Find out in the next chapter! **

**Thank you for all your lovely reviews I am so glad that you are enjoying this story. Please continue to read and review. **


	91. Chapter 91

Lauren walked into the Vic 20 minutes late and Whitney looked up at her

'Are you ever on time?' she asked her with a smile

'On rare occasions' Lauren replied as she sat down with a frown 'Where's Joey?'

'Bathroom' Tyler said

'So how come you were late?' Whitney asked

'I stopped off at Lucy's to see if she was in. Ian said she's been in town, finance meeting or something. Said that she said she'd probably be meeting a friend in a wine bar later' she said and she looked at the drinks on the table 'Is this mine?'

'Yep' Tyler said 'It's probably flat now though' he said 'You know with you being late and all' he grinned at her

'Well it just so happens that I like flat coke' Lauren said and she picked it up and took a sip 'Ergh! That's so horrible' she said and she got up and went to the bar and brought another one. She returned to the table just as Joey came back.

'Oh you're here then' he said as he sat down next to her 'Lauren time again?'

'I was drawing actually and I lost track of time if you must know' she told him

'Is that all you've done today?' Joey teased her 'While we've all been out working hard you've been at home sitting on your arse drawing?'

'Actually I was lying in bed drawing….before and after I woke up from my five hour nap!' she grinned at him

Joey rolled his eyes 'You are such a lazy girl' he teased her 'I knew I should have stuck with Lucy!'

Whitney and Tyler gasped and shifted in their seats uncomfortably

Lauren's mouth fell open in mock shock 'Did Lucy ever…' she moved forward and whispered in his ear.

Tyler and Whitney saw him blush bright red and Whitney grinned and nudged Tyler.

'No she didn't. No one did. That's just you' he told her as his face returned to its normal colour 'And I can't believe you just said that to me in a crowded pub' he glanced around.

'I am dying to know what she just whispered in your ear to make you turn that colour' Tyler said

'I said…' Lauren started to say and Joey clamped his hand over her mouth

'Don't you dare!' he warned her playfully 'Or I may just have to let something slip, accidentally of course' he told her 'SO are you going to play nice?' Lauren nodded and he removed his hand

'I'm not allowed to say but it was fairly rude' she said

'Yeah we got that' Whitney said as Lauren leant against Joey, she peered at him, he winked and smiled at her.

'So what were you drawing?' Tyler asked her 'Another piece for your course?'

'No just something for Oscar' Lauren said 'He likes animals so I was drawing him some giraffes, lions and monkeys'

'That'll be nice' Max said from behind us as he walked passed with Uncle Jack 'you can tell him that he can see them all for real at the zoo on Saturday if you two still want to take him?' he said

'Yeah you sorted it with mum' she asked him

'Yeah of course I did' he smiled at Lauren 'I'll even let you borrow a car as long Joey drives'

'What! I'm a good driver!' Lauren exclaimed

'Yeah, want to explain to me why there was a large dent in the back of the car that I leant you the other week?'

'I didn't see the post'

'No too busy texting or singing along to the radio I bet' Max said as Lauren grinned at him sheepishly 'Yeah that's what I thought' Max smiled at her 'So you can come pick the keys and Oscar up at 8:00am' he told them

'Thanks dad'

'You're welcome' he told her with a smile

'Maybe we can have that lunch later this week?'

'We could make a day of it? Go to an auction. You used to love coming with me when you were little'

'Yeah I'd like that. Maybe you can buy me a car?' she suggested

'Yeah well don't hold your breath' he told her 'Wednesday at 10:00am at the car lot?'

'I'll be there' Lauren smiled at him

'Good' he looked at everyone at the table and then he looked at Joey 'You make sure you take care of my daughter and son on Saturday all right?'

'Yep absolutely' Joey nodded

Max and Jack went round to the other side of the bar to sit at a table with their drinks.

'You and your dad seem to be getting on okay' Whitney said

'Yeah we're working on it' Lauren replied

'Oh I love this song' Tyler said as Muse's Uprising came on the Juke Box 'Hey Whit do you remember when we went to see them?' he asked her, she frowned at him trying to remember 'We sang along to all their songs and we got a little drunk, and when we got home we had really loud sex and woke Ant up?'

'Er Ty?' Lauren said quietly 'That was me'

Tyler looked at her and then he grinned 'Yeah it was that; was a pretty good night' he said and he looked at Whitney and then Tyler and the grin dropped off his face.

'Okay I am going to get some more drinks. Whit want to give me hand?' Lauren asked her

'Yes I do' she got up and we left the boys alone.

We waited at the bar to be served 'I'm really sorry about that Whit' Lauren said

'It's okay. I know you and Tyler used to date so….' She trailed off 'You know what would make me feel better though?'

'Name it. I'll do anything'

'A night with Joey'

'What! No way!' Lauren exclaimed and Whitney laughed

'Well it was worth a shot' she said 'As I remember he is a pretty good kisser, and from what I glimpsed this morning he has a serious six pack, I bet he can go for hours!'

'Whitney Dean!' Lauren laughed 'You stay away from my boyfriend!'

'Come on you can tell me…he is pretty good in bed right?'

'I am not telling you that' Lauren said with a smile

'Oh come on you know what Tyler's like and I'm never going to get thee chance to find out what Joey's like please…just a snippet?' she turned and glanced at the table and Lauren looked at her as her face fell and went pale

'Yeah Lauren, tell us, how good is your cousin in bed?' Lucy said.

**AN: Don't yell at me for leaving it here. The next chapter is coming today I swear! **

**Hope you have enjoyed it so far. Thanks for reading.**

**As always R&R**


	92. Chapter 92

Lauren turned around to face Lucy.

'Lucy, I've been looking for you. I left you a voicemail'

'Yeah I got it' Lucy said and she looked at Whitney and then back at Lauren

'Why don't we go somewhere to talk?' Lauren asked her

'Here's just fine' Lucy replied waving her arms around

Whitney frowned 'Are you drunk Lucy?'

'So what if I am?' Lucy shot back 'so come on then Lauren what is it that you want to talk to me about?' she frowned at her 'Let me guess. Is it that you and Joey are together?'

'Luce, I can explain. I didn't mean for you to find out like this'

'No how exactly did you plan for me to find out? All the times you were telling me that I needed to move on, when I opened up to you about how I felt about him you were screwing him behind my back' she snapped at her friend. Lauren looked at Joey and Tyler who seemed to be engrossed in a video on Tyler's phone, typical she thought they choose now to start the male bonding. 'Some friend you turned out to be'

'Luce I can explain everything to you I swear'

'Were Joey and I together? When this started?'

'No' Lauren told her 'I told him that nothing could happen between us while he was seeing you'

'So you were behind Joey breaking up with me' Lucy said 'and all the time I was crying on your shoulder on you were seeing him behind my back?'

'No Lucy it wasn't like that. We didn't start anything then' Lauren said 'look it wasn't as though you two were serious was it hey? He cheated on you with Whitney. If he was in love with you he wouldn't have done that would he?'

'Luce why don't we go somewhere else hey?' Whitney asked her

'And you … you knew and you are supposed to my friend'

'I'm both of your friends and it wasn't my place to tell you' Whitney told her

'Then why are you here now? This is between me and Lauren'

'It's okay Whit' Lauren said and she pulled some money out of her pocket and gave it to her 'Why don't you get the drinks in?'

'All right' she said and she moved a little way down the bar and waited to be served, keeping one eye on her friends.

'No Lucy don't go to Joey, his daddy's just died…. Don't chase after him let him come to you. If he wants you he'll come to you' Lucy reeled off parts of conversations that they'd had. 'He's got a girlfriend, he really wants to make it work with her' Lucy laughed 'I bet you were laughing behind my back. You knew how I felt about him and you still had to go after him'

'I didn't' Lauren said 'That's not what happened'

'You do know that your little boyfriend there is your family don't you?' she asked her 'I bet your parents are so proud of you' she frowned 'so how did it start? When he was living with you. Did you get drunk….throw yourself at him? Accidentally get into his bed after you got home from one of your benders? Drop your towel when you walked passed him on the landing in the mornings?'

'Luce..' Lauren started to say 'Look you're drunk, why don't you go home and sober up and we will talk about this when you are sober' Lauren said and she joined Whitney

'Don't walk away from me bitch!' Lucy said and she grabbed Lauren's arm and pulled her roughly back to face her

'I'm sorry Lucy. I know that you are upset and I didn't want to hurt you and yes I know hiding things was wrong and I'm sorry. But it wasn't just about you' Lauren told her 'And I tried to fight the way that I felt about him I swear I did'

'You know how I feel about him' Lucy said her eyes filling with tears

'And you know he doesn't feel the same way. He's told you enough times' Lauren said gently 'What else do you want him to do? Pretend to be in love with you to make you happy?'

'Yes' she said 'and he would love me if he gave himself a chance. I know he would. I can be whatever he wants me to be. I can make him happy'

'Is everything okay here?' Roxy said as she came to serve Whitney

'Yeah everything's fine' Lucy said 'Lauren and I are just talking about what a two face back stabbing boyfriend stealing bitch she is'

'It's fine Roxy' Lauren told her 'Lucy's going home to sleep it off aren't you Lucy?'

'Yeah that's what I'm going to do' Lucy nodded 'We're fine'

Roxy nodded and turned to Whitney 'What can I get you?' she asked her

'I can't believe that you did this to me' Lucy said to her 'I love him. I thought we were going to make things work'

Lauren shook her head 'You are acting like I slept him while you were still together. That's not what I did and I would never do that to you to anyone' she said with a frown 'There's only person standing here who sleeps with other peoples boyfriends behind their friends back Lucy'

'Oh you're going to bring that up again are you?' Lucy laughed 'Can't you just get over that? He came to me. I didn't go to him. What was I supposed to do?'

'Say no' Lauren frowned at her 'Keep your knickers on and your legs shut!'

'You mean like you did with Joey?'

'This is nothing like what you did to me Lucy and this isn't revenge either. I love him and he loves me'

'It's not love' she shook her head 'He doesn't love you. He's just doing this to make me jealous'

'Oh my god can you hear yourself?' Lauren frowned at her 'He can't stand you Lucy' Lauren told her 'He used you. He needed a place to stay and you offered him one, you also offered him anything else he wanted. You were just a distraction Lucy. Every time he was with you he was wishing that you were me.'

'No I don't believe you. He's not in love with you. He'll cheat on you as soon as he can that's if he's not doing it already'

'He wouldn't do that. I trust him.

'More fool you' Lucy spat at her 'You have doormat written across your forehead' Lauren's hand clenched to a fist, Whitney saw

'Lauren… leave it hey she's drunk'

'No she wanted to know Whit' Lauren told her with a frown. Whitney picked up the drinks and she carried them back over to the table.

'What isn't to believe Lucy he's with me not you' she said 'Isn't that enough of a clue that he doesn't want you'

'You .. you're keeping him from me' Lucy said 'You've turned him against me.

'Yeah I'm keeping him against his will. He really wants to have a relationship with a crazy clingy self-absorbed bitch' Lauren snapped at her 'you know what … he told me that sex with you was dull, uninteresting, un-satisfying, but that you offered it on a plate so he thought why not. Bad sex is remotely better than no sex at all and anyway he was sleeping within at least 4 other girls that he met at the club while he was seeing you. Didn't you ever wonder where he was when he didn't come home those nights?' she asked her

'He watches me when we got out…'

Lauren shook her head 'No Lucy he's watching me.' Lauren told her 'Joey wants me not you. God I mean look at you, desperation is rolling off you in waves. It's really pathetic'

Lucy slapped Lauren hard across the face, she closed her eyes as her head was forced to the side. The pub went quiet and people the other side of the bar moved round to see what was happening. Max and Jack included.

'Okay you get that one Lucy' Lauren said when she turned back to look at her

Lucy slapped her again and then screamed at her and lunged for her grabbing a fistful of her hair. Lauren was taken by surprise by the attack and she fell to the ground with Lucy on top of her

'Get off me you crazy bitch!' Lauren yelled.

Lucy suddenly felt strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her off of Lauren. 'Joey?' she turned in his arms and saw Tyler. She turned and saw Joey helping Lauren up

'Are you okay baby?' he asked her with tender concern.

She looked at him and nodded with a smile 'Yeah'

'Come one let's sit down' he told her and he led her back to the table. Whitney and Tyler dragged Lucy to the corner of the room and sat her down. She drowned out their words as she watched Joey's fingers run lightly over Lauren's cheek. 'Do you want a drink?' he asked her

She nodded 'A vodka' she told him. He nodded and he got up and he ordered them both a vodka shot and he set them back down on the table in front of them. Lauren picked hers up and she drank it one. Joey did the same and pulled a disgusted face.

'Blergh!'

Lauren giggled and then laughed at him 'Thank you' she said to him softly.

'You're welcome' he said and he looked at her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear. 'Does it hurt?'

'Stinging it a bit. I'm getting tired of being slapped' she told him with a sigh, Joey moved forward and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

'Better?' he asked her, she nodded and she smiled at him

'Much thank you' she replied, Joey's eyes fell to her lips and Lucy and the people in the pub watched in surprise as Joey drew her closer and kissed her, her hand moved to hold his wrist as he deepened the kiss, she gave a soft sigh as his tongue gently slid into her mouth to touch hers lightly. He knew that they were in the pub and he slowly ended the kiss and pressed his forehead against her, pressing another quick kiss to her lips.

Jack blinked and he turned to Max 'Well that was new, I knew they were close but …..' he trailed off

Lucy got up and stormed out of the pub as Whitney and Tyler went back to joey and Lauren 'Are you okay?' Whitney asked her

Lauren looked at her nodded as Joey put his arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. 'I'm fine Whit' she told her

'She was out of line' Whitney told her 'I'm sorry ..'

'Not your fault' Lauren shook her head,

'Well at least you two don't have to hide anymore' Tyler said glancing around the pub 'I think pretty much everyone knows now with a few exceptions'

No more hiding' Joey said 'Why don't we go home hey, I think we've given everyone enough excitement and gossip for one night' he asked her

'Yeah as long as Tyler and Whit come too' Lauren looked at both of her friends

'Definitely' they both nodded

'Let's go babe' Joey said and they stood up.

He put his arm around her waist and she slid her hand into the back pocket of his jeans. Max smiled as they left.

'You're okay with this?' Jack asked him

'She's happy Jack' Max said 'I you just have to look at her to see that'

'But Joey…'

'He's just as besotted with her as she is with him' Max told him 'Don't give them a hard time' he told his brother 'Derek did enough of that'

'What do you mean?' Jack frowned 'Derek knew?'

'You better sit down mate' Max said 'Alfie 2 double whiskeys please' he said

Jack frowned but took his seat.

Lauren went into the kitchen to sort out some drinks. She got beers for Whitney and Tyler and made herself a coffee

'Honey do you want a beer or coffee?' she called out

'Coffee please babe' Joey called back, she made him one too and put the drinks on a tray and carried them through to the lounge, putting it down on the coffee table.

'Thanks' they all said together

Joey was sitting on a bean bag that Lauren had brought, she smiled as he held out his hand and she sat between his legs on it, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck lightly.

'I like what you've done with the place' Tyler said 'It's really nice' he said as he looked around

'Whitney helped' Lauren told him 'She has pretty good taste in most things… not in men though' she laughed

'Oi!' Tyler frowned at her and smiled

'I'm Lucy's mad at you too' she told her friends

'Forget about it. She's made this bigger than it is. She'll get over it' Whitney said 'And if she doesn't well that's just too bad'

'Yeah I guess' she said leaning back against Joey.

After Whitney and Tyler left joey made sure the doors were locked. Lauren was in the bathroom cleaning her teeth, Joey walked in behind her and he took his t-shirt off and his jeans and his socks and he moved up behind her and reached for his toothbrush. She watched him watching her in the mirror as he cleaned his teeth too. She spat into the sink and rinsed her mouth out, before wiping her mouth with the towel. She moved out of Joey's and she wriggled out of her jeans and put them in the washing basket, she walked to the door and pulled her top over her head and unhooked her bra as she walked out of view. Joey brushed his teeth faster.

Lauren was already in bed when Joey joined her in the bedroom. He slid his boxer shorts and climbed in beside, she moved into his arms and they melted into each other.

Lauren woke to the sounds of Joey's mobile, she felt him move and grab his phone 'Hello?' he said sleepily. 'Hold on a second' she felt him climb out of bed and heard him walk out of the lounge. She watched the clock fifteen minutes later she heard him coming back and she closed her eyes. He put his phone don on the bedside table and walked into the bathroom. Lauren sat up and looked at his phone at the last caller, Olivia. She put the phone down quickly when she heard the toilet flush and pretended to be asleep. She could hear him moving round the room and after a period of time passed her pressed a kiss to her forehead. She heard the flat door close quietly as he left.

**AN: So hope the Lucy/Lauren confrontation wasn't too disappointing.**

**And Lucy slapped Lauren and Lauren still hasn't slapped Lucy….. she will. Trust me! **

**And Joey showed the rest of the pub that he and Lauren are a couple. **

**But don't think Lucy is going to just take this lying down… schemes are a foot. **

**And who is Olivia?! **

**Enjoy and as always R&R. **


	93. Chapter 93

Lauren woke at 11:00am Tuesday morning to find Joey still not back, she got up and looked for a note but found nothing. She dialled his number but it went through to voicemail, she hung up without leaving a message.

Lucy's words from last night ran through her head

'_**He's not in love with you. He'll cheat on you as soon as he can that's if he's not doing it already'**_

Lauren showered and she got dressed and she went over to Alice's but there was no reply. She pulled out her phone and she dialled Joey's number again. He still didn't answer and again she didn't leave a message. Lauren went to college, keeping her phone on silent in case Joey called her. At 5:00pm she checked her phone as she sat in the café across from college and had some food. She called Alice to see if she would be in later and she headed home. She went to the club and Sharon was there

'Hello. You're early' she said to her 'I was actually looking for Joey'

Sharon frowned 'Oh. He called me at lunchtime said that he had to go to his mums for a couple of days, didn't you know?'

'I left my phone at home today' she told her 'I've been at college'

'Oh well I'm sure you'll find a message on your phone when you pick it up. So it looks like it's just going to be you and me behind the bar tonight and tomorrow'

'Great' she forced a smile onto her face 'I'll see you later'

Her next stop was Alice's. She knocked on the door and Alice smiled as she saw her 'Hi Lauren. I hardly ever get to see you now that you and Joey have moved in together' she told her and she hugged her 'So what's up?' she asked her as she led her to the lounge. They sat down and Lauren licked her lips and let out a breath

'Who's Olivia?' she asked her

Alice blinked at her. 'Olivia? Has Joey told you about her?' she asked surprised

'All I know is that Joey got a phone call in the early hours of this morning and when I look at his phone I see that it's from someone called Olivia and he takes off in the middle of the night' Lauren told her 'He's taken the time to call Sharon and tell her that he's not going to be back for a couple of days and I'm guessing that he's called you too?'

'This morning' she nodded 'He said that he had something that he needed to take care back home and that he'd be back some point on Wednesday or Thursday' Alice told her and she frowned 'Joey didn't tell you?'

'Nope I haven't hear anything from him all day he didn't even leave a note' she frowned at her cousin 'For all I know he could be lying dead in a ditch somewhere or he snuck out for a booty call' she said 'So you better start talking Alice' Lauren told her as her eyes flashed angrily.

When Alice had finished Lauren didn't feel much better. Not knowing that this Olivia had broken his heart when he was 16 years old by cheating on him with his best friend, yes this explained why he acted the way that he did now, sleeping with girls and moving on, not letting himself stick around long enough to have feelings for them, well that was how he was like until he fell in love with her, but then this Olivia called in the middle of the night and he takes off without a word.

Lauren stood up and walked to the door and Alice touched her shoulder 'Are you okay?' she asked her

'No not really' she said shaking her head 'If Joey calls you again don't tell him that you've told me okay?'

'Lauren I …..'

'Alice you owe me this' she said firmly cutting Alice off

'Okay fine I won't say a word' she promised her reluctantly.

'Thank you' Lauren said and she walked away from Alice.

Lauren went back to the flat and searched high and low for a note in case it blew off and was underneath a piece of furniture. As every minute passed she found herself growing even more angrier and she picked up the phone and dialled Joey's number. It cut off after 2 rings and went to voice mail which made her blood boil even more knowing that he had rejected her phone call. She ended the call and then dialled another number instead. After a long conversation and weekend plans made she got ready for work.

She stored her phone in Sharon's office at the beginning or her shift and when the shift ended she picked it up and saw that there were no phone calls or text messages. She felt her eyes fill with tears as anger moved to hurt. She grabbed her coat and she went back to the flat, she made sure everything was locked up and she climbed into bed but not before she pulled out the half bottle of vodka she had hidden in one of her drawers and unscrewed the lid.

Wednesday morning she woke up with a banging headache. The now empty bottle of vodka fell off the bed as she moved. Groaning she got up, took some pain killers and dragged herself into the shower. She looked at the time. It was 1:30pm. She'd missed college and she had a mock exam today. She cursed under her breath and went into the bathroom and gathered all the washing together, leaving Joey's in the basket, she took it to the launderette and left it with Dot to do for her.

Lauren went into the pub next and brought some lunch and a couple of vodka's and cokes and sat down at a table to eat.

Tyler saw her when he came in off the market to get some change 'Shouldn't you be at the auction with your dad?' he asked her. Lauren blinked at him her face blank 'It's Wednesday. You were supposed to be meeting him at the car lot at 10:00am' he reminded her

'Oh shit! I forgot' Lauren rubbed her forehead 'I'll call him later, apologise' she told him

Tyler frowned 'Are you okay?' he asked her

'Yep I'm perfect' she told him 'You?'

'Are you drunk?' he asked her

'No not yet but the day is still young' she told him

'You're hung over' he stated

'Did you actually come in here for any other reason than to annoy me?' she snapped at him nastily 'I am trying to have a nice quiet pub lunch by myself'

'All right fine. If you want to talk?'

'Not to you' she said 'You'd just stick up for him. That's what blokes do. They stick together'

Tyler sighed 'Okay, I'll see you later' he said to her and he got his change and he went back to his stall.

Lauren was slightly drunk when she went to the club Wednesday night, but she had enough practice to hide it and Sharon didn't notice. Sharon agreed to let her take the rest of the week off at short notice, not really in the position to argue as she had let Joey do the same. Lauren went back to the flat and locked the doors behind her. She left the key turned in the keyhole so Joey wouldn't be able to get in and she went to bed. Her companion again for the evening was another half bottle of vodka. She picked up her phone as she took a drink and saw a text from Tyler

'_**I'm here if you need to talk'**_ she read, she smiled as she felt her eyes fill with tears and she promised herself the first thing she would do tomorrow morning would be to apologise to Tyler. She flicked to the next text it was from Lucy. _**'Alice told me that Joey's gone to see Olivia and that you were pretty upset that he hadn't told you he was leaving. Didn't he tell you about her? Told me all about her. She seems like a nice girl. Guess he's not as trustworthy as you thought.' **_The next one from her dad, she didn't read that one, she could already knew what it would say, the next one surprised her it was from Joey. She stared at his for a long time before she plucked up the courage to open it _**'I'm sorry. I will explain everything when I get back. I love you baby. J xxxxx'**_ she read she took a long drink of vodka until she almost gagged and she deleted the message. She put the phone on silent and put it on her bedside table.

When Joey tried to get into the flat at 3:00am he found his key wouldn't go in the lock, he frowned and he went to Alice's and let himself in the backdoor with his key and crashed on the sofa.

**AN: So the wanderer returns. And how pissed off is Lauren going to be when he shows up at the flat? **

**And has he remembered that tomorrow is Valentine's day? **

**Well keep reading to find out**

**And Enjoy R&R. **


	94. Chapter 94

Alice was surprised to see her brother asleep on the sofa when she went into the lounge at 8:00am to open the curtains. She left him sleeping not wanting to be interrogated about if she had said anything to Lauren. She left for work closing the door as quietly as she could.

Lauren woke at 10:30am she moved in the bed and her head pounded. Forcing herself to get up she made herself some coffee and took some painkillers and stripped off and stood under the shower until the water ran cold. She dressed and she peered out of the window to see if there was anyone around. She opened the door and left and let herself out of the bottom door to the flat. There was a bouquet of a dozen long stemmed red roses on the door step. She picked them up and felt some of her anger towards Joey melt away, she pulled the card off and opened it

'Happy Valentine's Day Lauren. I love you ?' she read, she smiled and took the flowers upstairs and put them in a vase of water and put them on the coffee table.

She went over to see her dad at the car lot and apologised profusely for forgetting their day and made arrangements for the following Wednesday, lunch at her parent's house and she also reluctantly agreeing to talk to her mother. She stayed and had a coffee with her dad and then she went to find Tyler. She saw him walk into the Vic with Whitney. She followed them and she walked over to them both

'Ty I'm sorry' she said

'Its okay' he said 'I bumped into Alice yesterday she told me everything' he told her 'Do you want to join me and Whitney for lunch?'

'Is it okay?' she asked 'I mean I'm not crashing anything?' she looked at Whitney

'Course it's alright' Whitney frowned at her friend 'Sit eat, have fun' she told her. Lauren smiled and she sat down next to Whitney.

Tyler stood up 'Right I'll get drinks and order the food, Lauren?'

'Double vodka and coke' she replied 'and burger and chips'

Tyler nodded and he looked at Whit 'Same please' she said

Whitney turned to look at her 'You look awful' she said

'I feel pretty bad' Lauren admitted 'But you know what the cure is for that'

'What?' Whitney frowned

'Hair of the dog' Lauren replied

'Are you drinking again?' Whitney asked her

'Yeah so?' she shrugged

'Well it's just I thought you stopped' she said to her 'I wasn't judging' Whitney told her as Tyler came back with the drinks. He put a red drink down in front of Lauren.

'What's this?'

'Cranberry juice and lemonade' he told her 'I'm not buying you vodka Lauren and if you want to have lunch with us you'll shut up and drink it' Lauren blinked at him and she picked it up and took a sip

'Thank you' she replied softly.

'So is Joey back yet?' he asked her

Lauren shrugged 'I don't know and I don't care' she told him

'He didn't come back to the flat then?'

'I don't know, I left the key in the door so that if he did he wouldn't be able to get in' she admitted to him

'And he hasn't called you?' Tyler frowned

'He text yesterday said he was sorry and that he could explain and that he loved me' Lauren told him 'And this morning there was a dozen long stemmed roses on the doorstep' she said with a small smile

'Oh… yeah they were from Ant' Tyler said grimacing as he told her 'I told him not to but you know how stubborn he can be when he has an idea in his head' he looked at her 'Did you think that they were from Joey?' she nodded and looked down into her drink

'Well at least someone got me flowers on Valentine's day' she said forcing a smile onto her face. 'I'll call him later and thank him'

Joey woke up feeling stiff from sleeping on the sofa. He looked at the clock and he picked up his bags and he went back to the flat. He found his key slid into the lock easily and he went inside

'Lauren? Babe?' he called out hopefully but she wasn't there. He went into the bathroom and stripped off and stepped into the shower, yelling when the cold water hit him. He showered quickly and he dressed and he saw his laundry in the basket. He added more dirty clothes to it and bagged it up ready to take to the launderette. He put his bag in the bedroom, his foot kicked something on the floor and he bent down to pick it up and he saw the empty vodka bottle 'Oh Lauren' he frowned. He picked up the bottle and took it into the kitchen and made a coffee. He opened the bin and found another empty bottle, he sighed and he poured extra milk in the coffee so he could drink it quickly. As he left the flat he saw the roses in the vase on the coffee table, the little white card sitting beside it. Curious he picked it up and read it. He automatically knew that they were from Ant and he frowned feeling jealous.

He made his way to the Vic and he looked around, he saw Lauren, Tyler and Whitney eating lunch together, he could see Lauren talking and laughing with her friends but her eyes gave away that she was just putting on a show. He walked over to the table and Whitney was the first one to notice him

'Oh. Hey. Hi Joey' she said. He saw Lauren sit up straight in her seat

'Hi' he said quietly 'Mind if I join you?' he asked them. Tyler and Whitney looked at Lauren

'Sure' she said as she pushed her plate away, she pulled some money out of her pocket and put it on the table for Tyler 'I was just leaving, suddenly I've lost my appetite' she told them. 'Have a good night tonight' she told Whitney and Tyler and avoiding eye contact with Joey she walked out of the pub.

'Sorry, I need to…' Joey gestured to the door

'Yep' Tyler nodded

**AN: So is Lauren going to make this easy for Joey? Should she? What's his explanation going to be? Is this the end of Joey and Lauren after they've told everyone? Let me know your thoughts. R&R as always **


	95. Chapter 95

**AN: Advisory warning… you may need multiple tissues! Oh and it's a big chapter because I figured you would all lynch me if I cut it in two as originally intended and left you hanging until tomorrow! **

'Lauren!' Joey called after her as she walked back towards the flat. 'Babe please I can explain everything' he told her 'It's not what you think I promise' he sprinted to catch her up 'Look I know that you are upset with me'

'Upset doesn't begin to cover it Joey' she told him and she wrenched open the door to the flats. She took the stairs two at a time determined that she was going to lock him out again, but he caught her up easily and slipped inside before she even had a chance to shut the door in his face.

'I should have told you…..'

'You think?' she shouted at him 'You call Sharon and Alice but you don't think to call me or leave me a note or even to wake me up. I was laying there next to you in bed Joey, you just snuck out in the middle of the night with no word to me and you cut me off when I try to call you and now you come back here and expect me to let you explain?' she shouted at him 'No. Not going to happen. And you are not staying here tonight or any other night. You can pack up your things and you can go'

'No Babe you don't want that' he said shaking his head 'I don't want that. I love you'

'Yeah well maybe you should have thought about that before you snuck off in the middle of the night to visit your ex-girlfriend' Lauren was vibrating with anger

Joey sighed 'You've spoken to Alice' he sighed and he closed his eyes and ran his hands over his face

'Which I wouldn't have had to do if you had talked to me' Lauren said with a frown 'Even Lucy seems to know about Olivia. And when you go back to Alice's and see her, tell her the next time she sees me isn't going to pleasant'

'Why what did she do?' Joey asked her

'Lucy said she told her about you leaving without saying anything to me and that I was upset' Lauren told her 'Lucy text me about it, the smug bitch'

'I'm sorry' he told her 'I screwed up'

'Yeah so you said but that doesn't make things okay' she snapped at him 'I don't want to talk you, I don't want to hear whatever bullshit excuse you've come up with. You may have been able to pull this crap with Lucy and all the other girls you've used but you are not doing it with me' Lauren shouted at him, she paused to take a breath and her eyes filled with tears and they rolled down her cheeks.

'Babe… don't' he whispered as she covered her mouth with her hand, he moved forward to comfort her and she twisted away from him.

'Don't touch me' she hissed at him, he was hurt that she pulled away from him, she fled into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her and locked the door.

'Lauren please….' Joey sighed tapping on the door gently 'Baby open the door' he called gently

'GO AWAY JOEY!' she yelled

'You know that's not going to work' he told her and he went into the bedroom and he got a couple of things from his bag, he walked back to the bathroom door and he sat down on the floor next to the door. 'Listen to me okay…..let me explain and if you still want me to leave when I'm finished then I'll go. I'll go back to Alice's okay?' she didn't reply, to be truthful he didn't expect her to, but she didn't yell at him to leave again so he took it as a sign that she was listening.

'Olivia is an old girlfriend' he told her 'We went out when I was 14 until we were 16, and I found in her bed with my best friend Rick' he started to tell her 'And yeah maybe what happened is the reason for the way that I was' he told her 'She and Rick got married when they were 18, they've been happy together ever since and we're all friends again' he took a breath 'and that's all Olivia and I are friends. Yes I see her and Rick when I go back home and we all go out together as friends' he said and he sighed and he looked at his hands 'I would never cheat on you Lauren..never….you are the one good thing in my life, why would I ruin that for a one night stand with an old flame?' he asked her 'You said it yourself in the Vic the other night… do you remember what you whispered in my ear? And what you said was true. No one makes me as hard as you do. No one turns me on as much as you do. No one can make me cum as hard and as fast as you do' he told her 'what kind of idiot would I be if I threw that away hey?' he waited for her to reply but she didn't' 'Honey please talk to me' he called through the door. 'I'm sorry that I didn't wake you up, I didn't want you to worry and I wasn't planning on being gone as long as I was. Olivia just told me that there'd been an accident and that Rick was hurt, and she thought that I would want to know. I just planned to be there for a couple of hours. And I know that when I realised that I was going to be longer that I should have called you explained but I knew that as soon as I heard your voice I would have fallen apart' Lauren looked at the door in the mirror frowning, she thought that she heard him sobbing outside the door.

'The accident was bad Lauren.. worse than Olivia first thought. Rick rides a motorbike.. he's a really careful rider and all she said was that he hit a van or something and he was being taken to hospital but he was okay' Joey continued, Lauren crept forward to the door and she sat down leaning against it 'When we got to the hospital everyone was being really vague and it was a busy night there'd been a coach crash or something, five or six other cars involved too. A lot of casualties, the staff were swamped and we waited. We didn't get any news until 5:00am and it wasn't good' Joey said and he trailed off again, this time Lauren was certain that she could hear sobbing coming from the other side of the door. She moved from her current position and she unlocked the door and opened it and she sat down on the floor behind the wall. 'His bike was hit by a car and the driver of the car stopped to help him and he was fine….the coach driver didn't see the stopped car or the bike and ploughed straight into it, straight into Rick…the doctors said that he was lucky to be alive, that they were amazed that he still was, with the injuries that he had, they didn't hold up much hope that he'd survive the night, but he did' he told her 'Olivia was in pieces, she doesn't have any family both her parents died when she was 8, her sister raised her and when Olivia was 16 and working her sister went to live in Spain. They don't really talk, she didn't come to the wedding. All Olivia had was Rick and I couldn't leave her Lauren… and I wanted to call you so badly. I wanted you with me.' he told her 'Rick was taken in for some emergency surgery and Olivia asked me about live here and if the problems I had were sorted out and I told about you. I showed her some pictures that I have of you on my phone and one in my wallet and she told me that I was punching well above my weight' he said with a smile 'and she's right I am' he said with a hollow laugh 'I don't deserve you' he told her. 'When Olivia found out that I hadn't told you were I was going where I was she called me all the names under the sun…she told me to call you and explain everything to you and if I didn't do it she was going to call you' he said 'She told me that she would be fine by herself for 20 -30 minutes, I guess she figured it wasn't going to be a short conversation' Joey laughed. Just as I was going through the exit doors, I heard Olivia scream and I turned and the surgeon was there 'Rick died on the operating table and they couldn't bring him back, he was really badly hurt and ….' Joey trailed off. Lauren got up and she walked out of the bathroom and she sat down next to Joey. 'He died' Joey said. Lauren reached out and she put her hand on his. 'I've known him since I was 3 years old and now he's…gone like that' he snapped his thumb and finger together.

'I'm so sorry Joey' she said softly he looked at her and she saw the tears rolling down his cheeks. 'I'm sorry I was so mad at you. That I got drunk …. Twice' she said and her voice broke off as fresh tears started to fall

'No baby don't you have nothing to apologise for… you didn't know and I should have told you and I am so sorry that I didn't' he told her he sniffed and he wiped his eyes with the palm of his hands 'I didn't mean to be gone for so long' he told her 'God I am so sorry' he said.

'Ssh' Lauren said she pushed his hands off his lap and crawled onto it, she cradled his head against her chest 'Ssh, it's okay' he told him

'I don't want us to break up, I don't want to move out..'

'Ssh, don't worry about that' she told him softly 'No one's breaking up and no one's moving out' she told him 'But next time…if you have to leave if you don't tell me…'

'I swear I will. I swear' he told her and he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly.

'When's the funeral?'

'Olivia's arranging it' he told her 'She said she wanted to do it by herself and that once she had a date she'd call me'

'I want to come with you' Lauren told him 'If that's okay?'

Joey pulled back to look at her 'Yes please' he nodded, Lauren brushed his new tears away with the thumb.

'I'm going to Sharon and tell her that you can't work tonight' she told him and he let her go and she picked up her phone and walked into the kitchen and she called Sharon. She explained briefly everything to her and she told Lauren to tell Joey to take as much time as he needed and that she would rope Jack into helping her at the club. Lauren went back to Joey and found that he had moved. She went into the bedroom and she saw him sitting on the bed, holding a box with a card on top. 'Sharon said take as much time as you need' she told him.

'Are you still working tonight?' he asked her

'No. I took the time off. If you came back today …. I didn't want to spend Valentine's night with you' she told him

'You got Roses huh?'

'They're from Ant'

'I guessed' he said

'I thought they were from you' she admitted to him with a sad smile

'I'm sorry I ruined Valentine's day' he told her

'Valentine's day is stupid anyway, it's just a way for people to make money, for other people to waste money on stupid cards and stupid gifts and stupid flowers' she told him

'Oh' Joey frowned at her and he reached under the bed 'So then I guess you don't want these' he asked her as he reached under the bed and pulled a huge bouquet of red and pink carnations out. 'And why would you think that I would buy you a dozen red roses when I know that these are your favourite flowers?' he asked her

'Joey….' She swallowed 'We don't have to do this… you lost your oldest friend….'

'Please?' Joey asked her 'this is our first Valentine's together…. Up until about 5 minutes ago I thought it was going to be our last' he said to her 'I know I hurt you Lauren… after I promised that I wouldn't….. I need to know that we're okay' he told her 'So please let me do this?' he asked her 'If you haven't got me anything it okay' he said.

She sighed and she walked to the wardrobe and she pulled out a large bag and she took it over to the bed and she knelt down in front of him. She took the flowers from him and sniffed them, the sweet smell filled her nose and she smiled. 'Thank you, they're beautiful' she told him

'You're beautiful' he told her seriously.

She looked at him and she moved forward and kissed him softly 'Can I give you my present first?' she asked him

'Yes' he nodded. She handed him the bag and he put what he was holding on the bed.

He found the card first and he carefully opened the envelope. Inside was a hand-made card. Lauren had drawn a picture of the two of them together inside a red love heart. "Our first Valentine's Day 2013" was written across the top of the card in a fancy font. He opened the card and his breath caught as he read the inscription.

"Joey, I love with you all my heart, body and soul. You make me feel like I am the only girl in the world you make me feel beautiful. Thank you for loving me. I'll love you forever. Lauren xxxxx"

'Thank you baby' he said softly 'And as far as I am concerned you are the only girl in the world' he told her 'And I love this picture' he told her 'You are beautiful, incredibly talented and I love you' he told her, he turned his head to look at her and he cupped her face his free hand and he kissed her tenderly, much like he had in the Vic after Lucy had slapped her.

'Open your presents' she told him. He reached into the bag and he pulled out two presents. One large one in a long oblong box. 'You have to open this one first' she pointed to the larger one. 'It's a little inappropriate' she said making him curious, he ripped the paper off and found a t-shirt inside

'All I got for Valentine's day was this lousy t-shirt' he read out loud and she grinned at him

'Turn it over' she said

Joey looked at her with a frown and did as she asked 'And the best sex of my life with her' he read. Underneath the writing was a silhouetted figure of a girl, Joey studied it 'Is this you?' he asked her and she nodded with a blush.

'I had to pose in a bikini and then they put the picture on the computer. Digitally remove the bikini and add a few bits and then … well it's all very technical and was highly embarrassing but this is the finished result' she told him

'I am never going to take this off' he told her with a grin. 'I love it, I get to have naked you wherever I go and it's not inappropriate' he said softly 'I'm happy with this as my gift. I don't need this one' he picked up the oblong box.

'Just open it idiot' she told him with a smile. Joey took his time unwrapping this one and when he opened the box he saw a Gucci G Timeless Bi-Metal Men's Watch. 'Lauren!' he exclaimed 'Do you like it?' she asked him 'Yes I do, but you shouldn't have….. this is really expensive…' he told her 'I wanted to. I saw you looking at it in a magazine and I wanted to get you something special' she told him 'I had it engraved so you can't take it back' she told him. He took out the watch and he turned it over and he looked at the back plate. 'LB loves JB xx 14.02.13' he read 'Thank you' he told her 'You really didn't need to do that' he said and he looked at the watch 'Put it on' she told him. He put the watch on and he smiled and then he kissed her again. 'I love it thank you baby' he said. He stared at the watch for a little while amazed that she would buy him something so expensive. 'Okay your turn' he said ' He picked up the box that he had on his lap and he took the lid off 'Okay this one first' he said and he handed her a large bulky present. She opened it and found 3 new A3 sketchpads inside, new charcoals and a new tin of coloured pencils and pens 'Perfect. I've almost run out of sketch books and my pens and pencils I have had since I was 12' she told him 'Thank you' 'You're welcome. Now this one next' he told her and he picked up an oblong box and he gave it to her. She tore the paper off an opened in and inside sat a thin silver chain with a heart shaped crystal pendant. 'Joey… its gorgeous' she said to him. Joey took it out of the box and she lifted her hair out of the way and he fastened it around her neck. 'It's white gold and ½ carat diamond' he told her quietly 'I wanted you to have something special too' he told her. 'I know we're not supposed to spend loads of money on each other but I saw this and I could picture you in it' he told her 'And I was right it looks stunning' he said. Lauren blinked at him 'Thank you' she said her eyes filling with tears at the expensive gift. 'It's too much but thank you' she told him. He reached out and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. 'Next year we have to set a price limit and stick to it' she told him 'Agreed' he said and he held out his hand and they both shook on it. 'Okay this is the last one' he told her. 'I wanted to give something different and I wanted to put into words how you make me feel. I'm not good with words or hearts and flowers….' 'You've done okay so far tonight' Lauren said with a smile, 'Thank you' he said 'So…on this Ipod is a song that says it for me and hopefully we can make it our song? Because I think this is what you feel too' he told her. Lauren looked confused as Joey carefully put the earbuds in her ears 'Okay are you ready?' he asked her and she nodded and he pressed play. A soft melody filed her ears and Bruno Mars began to sing,

_**If you ever leave me baby,  
Leave some morphine at my door  
'Cause it would take a whole lot of medication  
To realize what we used to have,  
We don't have it anymore.  
There's no religion that could save me  
No matter how long my knees are on the floor  
So keep in mind all the sacrifices I'm makin'  
Will keep you by my side  
Will keep you from walkin' out the door.**_

[Chorus]  
Cause there'll be no sunlight  
If I lose you, baby  
There'll be no clear skies  
If I lose you, baby  
Just like the clouds  
My eyes will do the same, if you walk away  
Everyday it will rain, rain, rain...

I'll never be your mother's favorite  
Your daddy can't even look me in the eye  
Oooh if I was in their shoes, I'd be doing the same thing  
Sayin there goes my little girl  
Walkin' with that troublesome guy  
But they're just afraid of something they can't understand  
Oooh well little darlin' watch me change their minds  
Yeah for you I'll try I'll try I'll try I'll try  
I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleeding  
If that'll make you mine

[Chorus]  
Cause there'll be no sunlight  
If I lose you, baby  
There'll be no clear skies  
If I lose you, baby  
Just like the clouds  
My eyes will do the same if you walk away  
Everyday it will rain, rain, rain...

[Bridge]  
Don't just say, goodbye  
Don't just say, goodbye  
I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleeding  
If that'll make it right

[Chorus]  
Cause there'll be no sunlight  
If I lose you, baby  
There'll be no clear skies  
If I lose you, baby  
Just like the clouds  
My eyes will do the same if you walk away  
Everyday it will rain, rain, rain...

When the song was finished she had tears streaming down her cheeks, she turned to look at Joey and he was crying too. 'I am so in love with you Lauren' he told her softly 'I can't lose you' he told her and she moved willingly into his arms. 'Me too Joey… me too' she murmured.

AN: Phew! And this is you very final chapter for today! Hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think. See you tomorrow. X


	96. Chapter 96

The two young lovers curled up together on the bed, taking comfort from each other, content, for now, just to be in each other's arms. Content to just be together. Joey's head was laying on Lauren's chest and she ran her fingers lightly through his hair at the nape of his neck. She knew he had fallen asleep when his breathing changed, after 20 minutes she tried to move away from him but he clung to her tightly, complaining softly in his sleep. After another 3 attempts of getting free she gave up and she closed her eyes, within moments she was sleep too.

She woke an hour before Joey did. She looked at the time on his watch. It was 7:00pm. She didn't want to wake Joey, clearly he'd not slept much since he'd been away but the need to go to the bathroom was greater. She rubbed his arm gently 'Joey' she whispered softly

'Mm?' he mumbled

'I need to pee, you need to let me go' she said. Joey's eyes opened and he loosened his grip on her and she wriggled free and darted to the bathroom.

When she came back he was sitting up on the edge of the bed. 'Why don't you take a shower? Lauren asked him 'I'll think about making dinner' she told him

'We can just go to the Vic or get some chips' he replied

'I don't mind cooking, I can make some pasta?'

'You shouldn't have to cook on Valentine's Day' he told her

'Okay well we can decide after you've showered' she told him

'Okay' he said getting up and walking into the bathroom.

Lauren picked her flowers up and took them into the kitchen. She glanced back and looked at the roses and she grabbed the vase and she swopped the flowers over and put her carnations in the lounge and wrapped the stem of the roses up.

'Joey, I'm just popping' out' she told her as she poked her head through the bathroom door

'All right' he called out softly

Lauren picked up her keys and the roses, let herself out of the flat and walked towards the square. She knocked on a door and smiled when it was opened 'Hello Granma. Happy Anniversary' she said and she held the roses out towards her

'Oh…Lauren.. how lovely of you to remember' Dorothy Branning said 'Come in' Lauren followed Dot into the kitchen and she put the roses down on the table and she looked at Dot, 'So what are you doing round your old granma's tonight hey? I thought Joey would have taken you out somewhere?' she said and she looked at Lauren as she found a vase and fill it with water

'He's been away, he's had some bad news..' she told her 'We're going to get some chips or go to the Vic' she said 'He got me this though' she showed Dot her necklace

'Oh I say…isn't that lovely' Dot held the pendant gently in her fingers 'that looks expensive. You be careful with that' she smiled at her 'So I suppose you haven't got time to have a cup of tea and chat with your silly old granma'

'Course I have' Lauren smiled at her

Lauren returned to the flat half an hour later. She picked up a rose and a card from the stairs and she recognised Lucy's childish scrawl, she carried them up to the flat. She walked into the bedroom as Joey came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his lower half, he was drying his hair with another, she tossed the card and rose on the bed

'These are for you, from Lucy' Lauren said 'She left them on the stairs'

'They can just go in the bin' he told her 'I have the Valentine that I want' he put the towel on the chair 'Hey, come here' he said, catching her hand in his and gently pulling her towards him. She moved into his arms and he held her, his hands rubbing her back softly.

'I missed you' Lauren whispered

'I know I missed you too' he replied, she pulled back to look at him 'We're okay aren't we?' he asked her with a frown.

She nodded 'Yes. We are' she reached up and gave him a light peck on the lips 'I don't know about you but I am starving' she told him

'Yeah me too'

'Vic for dinner?'

'Vic' he nodded in agreement.

Lauren and Joey walked hand in hand into the Vic at 8:30pm, Alfie smiled when he saw them

'Hello. What can I get you both?' he asked

'Are you still serving food?' Lauren asked him

'For you yes' Alfie smiled 'What would you like?'

Lauren looked at Joey 'Two burgers and chips please' Joey said 'and a double scotch, a beer and a coke?' he looked at Lauren and she nodded

'Coming up' Alfie said 'Why don't you two find a table and I'll bring them over' he told them.

The pub was pretty empty so they pretty much had their pick of tables. When Alfie brought the drinks over, Lauren looked at Joey, he picked up the scotch and drank it down in one.

'How come Lucy knows about Olivia?' she asked him

'She doesn't. Not really' he said shaking his head 'I took a call from her when we were out once. I just told her that Olivia was an a girl I used to date back home' he told her 'She kept trying to push the subject but that's all I told her' he said 'And I'm sure Alice hasn't told her anything' he said. Alice and Kat walked into the pub at that moment.

'Joey' Alice said 'Is everything okay?' she asked as she came over to us, Kat went to the bar

'Rick died' Joey told her

'Oh no. Joey I'm so sorry' she said and she hugged her brother 'how's Olivia?'

'Heartbroken' he replied, Alice let him go, Joey sniffed and he got up 'I'll be back in a minute' he went towards the bathroom, Alice sat beside Lauren

'How is he?' she asked her

'Upset' Lauren said 'In shock'

'And are you two okay?'

'Yeah we're okay Alice' Lauren told her and she licked her lips 'Did you talk to Lucy?'

'She came over to the house after you left' Alice told her 'Said that she was looking for Joey. She asked if you were okay as you looked upset and I said you were fine. I told her Joey had gone home for a few days. That's all' Alice said 'Joey ups and disappears every so often' Alice shrugged 'That's just what he does. I've lost count the number of times Lucy came over asking to see him and I'd have to tell her that he'd gone….' she rolled her eyes 'She'd get all weepy and want to ask me questions about his home life, his friends and about mum' she told her 'I used to tell her to ask Joey' Lauren nodded 'You know Joey better than anyone' Alice said 'He's in love with you'

'I know' Lauren nodded

'He gave you the necklace then?' Alice said 'It's been burning a hole in his pocket since you came back from Brighton'

'What do you mean?'

'He brought when you were there' Alice said 'He showed me after I knew about you two. He said that he wanted to know if I thought you would like it, he's wanted to give it to you for ages. I'm surprised he actually held off until today' Lauren smiled at this snippet of information 'He's never brought a girl anything like that before. So that should tell you something' she smiled 'I'm glad you two are okay' she said 'Well I am going to leave you to it. Kat and I are having an anti-Valentines night. I'll see you later?'

'Yeah bye Alice' Lauren smiled at her. A few minutes later Joey came back, Lauren cupped his face in her hands and kissed him.

'What was that for?' Joey asked her when the kiss ended

'Do I need a reason to kiss my boyfriend?' Lauren asked him, Joey smiled shaking his head

'No, no you don't'

They ate their food, talking quietly together. Max and Tanya came in and glanced around and saw Joey and Lauren together.

'So you want to go to the club?' Lauren asked Joey

'Do you mind?' he asked her 'I just want to see Sharon, explain' he told her

'No that's fine' she said 'I'll just go powder my nose'

'All right' he nodded.

She saw her parents and she paused 'Hi' she said softly

'Hello darling' Max said 'Joey can't do better than a burger at the queen Vic?' he asked her

'He's just come back from his best friends hospital bed' Lauren told him 'He was in a car accident… pretty awful by the sounds of it. His best friend died' she told them both

'Oh I'm sorry, Is he okay?'

'Upset, shocked, tired. We're waiting to hear when the funeral is. I told him I'd go with him'

'Well of course, you can borrow a car' dad said.

'Thanks' she smiled and she kissed his cheek and hugged him 'Happy Valentines day'

'Happy Valentine's day' Max said and he pulled a card out of his pocket and he handed it to her.

'Dad you didn't need to do that. I'm 19'

'It's tradition!' Max said to her. Lauren laughed and she turned to her mother

'Can you have a word with him please?' she asked her

'You know what he's like' she told her 'Let us know when the funeral is?'

'I will' she nodded 'Have a good night' Lauren said and she went to the bathroom.

When she came back Joey stood up and he took her hand and he led her out of the pub.

They walked into the club and made their way through the crowds to the bar. Sharon looked up as she saw him and she smiled at him

'I wasn't expecting to see you in here tonight' Sharon said

'I wanted to show my face.. can we have a word?' he asked her

'Sure' she nodded

Joey turned to look at her 'I'll be back in a minute babe' he said softly, she nodded and watched as Joey and Sharon went into the office. She walked behind the bar to give Jack a hand while they were gone. They were only 10 minutes and Sharon shooed Lauren out from behind the bar thanking her for her help.

Joey took Lauren's hand and he led her towards the dance floor. 'What are you doing?' Lauren asked him

'There's one more thing I want to do tonight before we go home' he told her softly 'I want to dance with my girlfriend' he caught the DJ's attention and nodded and Lauren smiled as Bruno Mars floated through the speakers.

'They're playing our song' Lauren said as she slid her arms around his neck

'I know' he told her with a grin.

'And you say you're not a heart and flowers kind of guy' she whispered in her ear as they swayed together to the music.

**AN: Aw.. romantic Joey!**

**Thanks for reading and enjoying. Please continue to read and enjoy and most importantly review. **

**Back later….**


	97. Chapter 97

Joey and Lauren only stayed at the couple for an hour, they had a couple of soft drinks with jack and Sharon and then Lauren insisted that Joey needed to get some more sleep.

'I'll be quick' she said as she went into the bathroom. Joey nodded. He sat down on the bed and looked at his phone and saw a text message from Olivia.

"_**Hope you and Lauren are okay? Thank you for coming and staying with me. It means a lot. Your mum has been great, she came to the house after you left. Thank you for calling her. Talk soon. O."**_

Joey sent a quick message back__

"_**I'm working on it. You're welcome. Stay strong. Talk soon. Joey"**_

He put the phone down on his bedside table as Lauren came out of the bathroom. 'Olivia text, just saying thanks for going down and calling my mum, she's with Olivia now. And I text her back to say that she was welcome and we'll talk soon' he told her, he slid his watch off and put it on the bedside table. He got up with a sigh and went into the bathroom. When he came into the bedroom, Lauren was already in bed, he turned the bedroom light off, the room not completely dark due to a faint light from the street light outside, he walked over to the bed. Lauren heard the zip of his jeans being undone and then a few seconds later the bed creaked as he got in, he let out a loud sigh.

'Night baby' Joey said and he leant over and gave her a quick peck on the lips and then moved to lie on his side his back to her, Lauren frowned slightly

'Night' she whispered back, she rolled away from him and they both lay awake, staring into the darkness, both of them wanting to have sex, but both of them equally sure that the other one didn't. After ten minutes Lauren sighed and she got out of bed and padded barefoot to the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face and she brushed her hair through and then she went back into the bedroom. She climbed back into the bed and lay on her back. Joey rolled over to look at her

'Are you okay?' he asked her, she turned her head to look at him and nodded

'Are you?' she said mirroring his position

'My mind is racing' he told her

'Can I do anything?' she asked him quietly, he shook his head, she reached out and she ran her fingers along his jaw. 'You should try to sleep, you look tired' she told him, he caught her hand as she pulled it away.

'I don't want to sleep' he told her as he turned her hand palm up and he kissed it, his eyes on hers. 'I just ….'

'What Joey?' Lauren asked him and she shifted closer to him 'Tell me' he could see the concern on her face.

'I just want to make love to you' he told her quietly, Lauren leant forward and she kissed him gently

'Yes please' she murmured against his lips, she pushed him back against the sheets and she leant over him as she kissed him again, she sensed that he didn't was to rush things so she kept her kisses light, barley touching him at times, she straddled him and he sat up, his hands stroking her back lightly through her satin camisole top before they slid up her shoulders and then to cup her face. His tongue touched her lips, seeking entrance, she gave a tiny moan as his tongue slowly swept into her mouth. She was a little concerned that she couldn't feel any signs of his very prominent member like she usually could, those thoughts soon disappeared as his hands moved under the back of her camisole top. She broke the kiss and raised her arms over her head as he pulled the top higher and then off. He bent his head to a breast and sucked her nipple into his mouth, she moaned softly arching her back, he spent a great deal of time on each breast with his mouth, his tongue and his hands, until Lauren was panting and shaking with need in his arms, he lifted her gently and lay her down on the bed and he moved over her. Again worry ebbed through her as she still couldn't feel any signs of his arousal as she cradled him between her hips. Joey, however, didn't seem in the slightest bit worried as he trailed open mouthed kisses on her neck and throat. Hit bit down gently on the sensitive spot on her neck and she gasped and thrust her hips against his. His hand moved away from her now over sensitised nipple and he slid them down her body and inside her camisole knickers,

'Joey…..' she whispered softly as his fingers slid over her clit and began to rub gently, he kissed her earlobe and then kissed her jaw, cheek and the tip of her nose lightly before he kissed her on the lips. 'Please….' She murmured, Joey switched his fingers with this thumb and she felt him push a finger inside of her and begin slow shallow thrusts. She arched her hips against meeting his shallow thrusts, forcing his thumb to press harder on her clit. His tongue matched the rhythm of his fingers inside her mouth, pausing every so often to caress her tongue gently. He inserted a second finger and Lauren gave a long moan, he nipped her bottom lip between his teeth and kissed her again before lowering his head to her nipple. He could fell her trembling beneath him and he inserted a third finger and put a little more pressure on her clit with this thumb, he knew she was close and he bit down bluntly on her nipple and she cried out as an intense orgasm hit her. He could feel her clenching and rippling around his fingers, he worked her through her orgasm slowly and then gently removed his fingers.

Raising his head he kissed her lips gently, and waited until she opened her eyes, her breathing was fast, he kissed her softly one more time on the lips and then trailed his kisses lower, as he reached her belly button he hooked his fingers in the top of her camisole knickers and he slowly drew them off her body, he sat back on his heels and he gazed down at her naked body for what seemed like a long time and Lauren trembled under his scrutiny. He smiled and kissed a path up the inside of her leg, his tongue probed between her legs and she groaned, his very talented mouth and tongue brought her to her second orgasm of the night, he trailed his kisses back up her body pausing to pay some attention to her breasts before he kissed her neck again before he found her lips.

She moved her hands to his back and she tugged on his t-shirt pulling it up, he pulled away long enough to remove his shirt and he settled back over her, she felt relieved when she felt his erection press against through his boxers and she smiled. Joey ground his hips against hers gently and she broke the kiss to the breath

'Joey please… I need you' she whispered softly 'I need you inside me'

Joey smiled against her neck as he felt her feet pushing his boxer shorts down, he managed to wriggle out of them and then he positioned himself at her entrance and he looked down at her

'Do you know how much I love you?' he asked her softly

'Yes' she replied 'As much as I love you' she replied. Joey eased himself inside her slowly, she could feel him stretching her, filling her as only he could. He grunted when he was seated inside her and then kept still, he kissed her, their tongues duelling playfully. He began a slow steady pace and as soon as he felt the tell take signs of her impending orgasm he stilled. Lauren groaned

'No Joey please….' she complained, when the small trembles subsided, he began to move again… he brought her to the brink 4 more times, before taking pity on her and he increased his pace and thrust into her harder. She shattered around him and she thought she was going to pass out from the overwhelming sensations that flowed through her body,

'Lauren! Lauren!' he cried out he came inside her, his climax as intense as hers. After a few moments he eased himself from her and he gathered her in his arms and held her close to him.

'I can't lose you Lauren, I can't ever lose you' he whispered brokenly, she felt a tear fall on her shoulder,

'Oh Joey' she whispered 'You won't. I'll never leave you baby' Lauren held him tightly as cried in her arms.

**AN: So… Hope you enjoyed this chapter. **

**So after this chapter there will be some time jumps…. just a few days here and there.**

**Enjoy and pleas review, it means so much to hear your kind words and views on the story. **


	98. Chapter 98

Lauren had secured Oscar in the child seat in the back of the car and checked that she had put the drinks and food in too before she climbed into the passenger seat of the car.

'Okay Buttmonkey are you ready to go to the Zoo?' Lauren asked as Joey started the engine

'YES!' Oscar screeched from the back of the car 'Go now Joey! Drive fast!' he bounced up and down excitedly

'All right buddy' Joey said 'We're going' he grinned as he looked at Lauren and pulled away from Max's

'YAY! Oscar going to see all the aminals'

'A..n..i..mals' Lauren corrected him

'That's what I said!' Oscar insisted

Lauren laughed 'When he gets excited he gets his words all muddled' she explained to Joey.

'Do not!' Oscar protested from the back

'Yes you do… So what animal do you want see first?'

'All of them!' Oscar told her

The drive to the Zoo took just over 2 hours, and another 15 minutes to park and Oscar asked a constant stream of questions about the animals in the zoo that Lauren answered patiently.

Joey got out of the car and he stretched, Lauren undid her seatbelt as Joey walked round to her side of the car, she banged her head on the car door as she got out.

'OW! Fuck!'

'Oh, I felt that' Joey said 'Let me see' he said as he pulled her hands away 'You're not bleeding' he told her after a quick perusal 'You're going to have a bump though' he told her and he pressed a soft kiss to the injured spot. 'There all better' he smiled 'and let's hope that Oscar doesn't go home with a new word in his vocabulary!' he added

'Oops' Lauren snuck a glance at Oscar but it looked as though he was more interested in his book

'Can you get Oscar out of the car and grab the bags please?' she asked him

'Of course'

Once Oscar was out of the car he jumped up and down excitedly 'WE'RE AT THE ZOO LOLLY!'

Lauren crouched down so she was eye level with her brother 'I know. Its exciting isn't it?' she asked him 'Now listen to me okay. It's going to be very busy in there, there are lots of other people here to see the animals too. So no running off and you have to hold my hand or Joey's hand all the time okay? I don't want you getting lost'

'Okay' Oscar nodded. 'Promise' Oscar nodded his head

'Right lets go then' Lauren said and she stood up and held out her hand. Oscar grinned and took it.

As they moved round the zoo Oscar announced he was tired and Joey had to carry him.

'Okay come on then buddy' Joey said and he picked him up and sat him on his shoulders 'Just watch the hair okay!' Joey took Lauren's hand and they moved round to the big cat enclosure.

'WOW!' Oscar said 'Look at the tigers! They're HUGE!'

'Yes they are they'd eat you whole!' Lauren told him 'So hold on tight to Joey!' she laughed when Oscars hands latched onto Joey's ears.

'Ow hey! I need those!' Joey laughed

Lauren took a lot of pictures of the animals following Oscars comands. She also took a lot of Joey and Oscar when they weren't looking.

At midday, they walked to the picnic area and found an empty table, Oscar sat one side of the picnic bench and Joey and Lauren the other, she lay the camera down on the table and unpacked the food and sorted out a plate for Oscar.

'Is this what you were doing at 6:00am this morning while I was lonely and cold in bed?' Joey asked her

'Yep' she nodded 'Making sure my boys didn't go hungry' she told him as she put a plate in front of him and reached into the cooler bag and grabbed two cokes and put them on the table

'This all looks great' he said as he looked at the selection 'Thanks babe' he said and he tucked her hair behind her ear and he moved forward and gave her a series of soft playful kisses.

'EEW!' Oscar exclaimed, Joey and Lauren broke apart to look at him 'That's how babies are made!'

'There's a little more to it than that mate' Joey laughed and Lauren shook her head at her little brother.

'Are you Lauren's boyfriend?' Oscar asked Joey

'Yes' Joey nodded 'I am'

'And you're my cousin?'

'Yes and Lauren's cousin too' Joey said carefully, he glanced at Lauren

'Oscar we talked about this remember?' Lauren said quietly. Oscar looked up at the sky and then nodded

'Yes. You told me that Joey was our cousin like Alice. And that Joey was your boyfriend, like Jay is with Abi'

'That's right' Lauren said with a smile 'You're a clever boy aren't you?'

'Yep' Oscar said making both Lauren and Joey laugh.

After they'd eaten and Lauren packed everything away, she turned to look at Joey and tugged on the front of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss 'Thank you for coming today' she said to him 'I know you have a lot of things on your mind'

'Its okay, I'm having a really good time and its nice to have my mind distracted' Joey told her 'Oscar is great'

'Yeah he is' Lauren nodded in agreement

'You're not too bad either' he grinned at her and he kissed her again, he felt her brush her tongue against his lips and he let her deepen the kiss.

'EEEEEW Stop it!' Oscar exclaimed and he covered his eyes with his hands as the couple laughed.

They covered the rest of the Zoo in the afternoon, their last stop was the Monkey House. Joey put Oscar down so he could stand a little closer to the railings.

'LOOK! LOOK! THE MONKEY'S ARE FIGHTING!' Oscar squealed loudly. 'DADDY LOOK!' Oscar tugged on Joey's hand, Lauren glanced at Joey to see his reaction at Oscar's slip and was surprised to see a grin on Joey's face. Joey crouched down behind Oscar

'Yeah they are aren't they mate?' Joey said softly Oscar leant back against Joey 'they're only play fighting though they're not actually hurting each other.' he told him as Lauren took some more pictures.

'Joey? What's that monkey doing?' she heard Oscar ask Joey as she scrolled through some of the pictures she had taken

'Oh well that one is actually making babies' Joey said, Lauren's eyes shot up and her eyes widened as she saw the two monkey's in question. She couldn't resist snapping a quick photo to show Whitney.

'Okay Oscar time to go' Lauren said, Oscar groaned and he turned to look at Lauren

'I wanna watch the monkey baby making!'

'Yeah! No not gonna happen, come on Oscar' he sighed but went over to her and slipped his hand in hers and they started to walk.

'Why can't I watch! Joey's watching!' Oscar complained

Lauren turned expecting to see Joey behind them but he was in fact still at the monkey enclosure, his head tilted to one side as he watched the monkeys 'JOSEPH!' she yelled at him. He turned and grinned at her and ran over to them.

'That was amazing!' Joey told her

'Yes I'm sure it was' she said 'but a little too x-rated for my little brother, we've managed to shield him from all the other mating attempts so far and then you expose him to that'

'Hey I didn't force them to start sha….. doing that!' Joey said when Lauren glared at him

'Let's just get to back the car okay?' she asked him.

'Yes' he replied grinning.

They got home at 7:00pm and they unloaded the car and Joey carried Oscar up the stairs. Tanya opened the door and she smiled at the grin on Oscar's face 'You had a good time then?' she asked as she took Oscar.

'We saw loads of animals and Joey brought me a toy tiger and a toy lion and a toy penguin.' Oscar told her as Joey and Lauren followed them into the house with the bags. She put Oscar on the sofa

'We had a great time mum' Lauren said 'And they toys weren't that expensive' she said to her 'He may be a bit hungry but he did eat a big lunch'

'Joey and Lauren kissed …..a lot' Oscar said and he stuck his tongue out in disgust. Tanya smiled

'Did they now?' she asked

'Not that much' Lauren shook her head

'All the time' Oscar said 'And Lauren banged her head on the car door and she said f…'Joey clamped his hand over the little boy's mouth

'Charming, you taught your little brother a new word' Tanya looked disapprovingly at her daughter.

'Joey let him watch monkeys have sex' Lauren said quickly and Joey narrowed his eyes at her, letting go of Oscar's mouth.

'Joseph Branning!' Tanya exclaimed in mock shock

'One minute they were just picking things out of each other's fur the next they were … at it' Joey said.

'I'm sure' Tanya said

'I'll print the pictures off tomorrow and we'll bring them over at lunchtimeish?' Lauren said casually

'We're having roast chicken' Tanya said 'I'll set another couple of places'

'Thank you' Lauren said with a grin she turned to Oscar 'Okay Buttmonkey Joey and I are going to go okay?' she said and she crouched down in front of him 'Thank you for letting me and Joey take you to the Zoo. We had a great time' she said

'Me too' Oscar said 'If you're good you can take me again' he told her causing everyone to laugh.

'Okay give me kiss and a hug' she told him

'Love you Lolly' he said as she hugged her, he hugged Joey 'Love you Joey'

'Love to you buddy' Joey said softly and he ruffled his hair.

'Okay let's get you home' he said to Lauren and he took a couple of the bags from her 'Oh… the keys to the car' he fished in his pocket and he handed them to Tanya as they walked to the front door.

'Thanks Joey' she said 'Are you going to the pub later?'

'Yeah we're meeting the guys' Lauren said

'If your father's in there send him home will you?' she asked

'Sure' Lauren nodded 'Well we'll see you tomorrow'

They left the house 'Can you get milk?' Lauren asked him

'Yeah course 2 pints?' he said as he gave the bags to Lauren

'Yeah please' she said Joey started to walk towards the Minute Mart 'Hey! Wait! Keys!' she called Joey jogged back over to her and he pulled them out of his pocket and gave them to her. 'Thanks'

When Joey walked into the flat he saw Lauren in the kitchen washing up the containers and plastic plates they had used today.

'That's what I like to see' he said 'A woman who knows her place' he teased her as he walked towards the bedroom 'Barefoot and in the kitchen'

'I think you'll find it's barefoot and pregnant' Lauren called back, he turned and walked in to the kitchen,

'One day babe' he said as he slid his arms around her waist and splayed his fingers across her flat stomach as he kissed her neck. 'I'm going to change before we go to the pub' he told her. 'Hey maybe when we get back from the pub we can try the position the monkeys were doing' he said pressing his groin against her bottom 'It looked fun?'

'No Joey' she told him shaking her head 'That's not going to happen'

'Guy's gotta try' he grinned as he walked to the bedroom

Okay….hey what did you do with the milk?'

'On the bed'he called back as the bathroom door shut.

Lauren rolled her eyes. 'Yeah 'cause that's where the fridge is' Lauren muttered.

**AN: So a cute Oscar filled chapter. Hope you enjoyed. **

**Thank you for all your lovely reviews, please keep them coming (GRINS) **

**Back later x **


	99. Chapter 99

Lauren and Joey were the last ones to arrive, the other couples and Alice were already there.

'No guesses for what you two have been doing' Tyler teased them

'I wish' Joey said as Lauren went to the bar 'Lauren's cut me off' he said

'With good reason!' Lauren shot back.

'I like your t-shirt' Alice said as Joey took off his jacket.

Lauren spotted her dad and Jack round the corner, 'Mum said that you have to go home' she told him as she reached them.

'Did she now?' he asked and he looked at his watch 'Oops. Passed dinner time' he said and he smiled at Lauren and then at Jack 'Better go' he said 'Did you have a nice time at the zoo?'

'Yeah we did. Oscar loved it. Oh he may have picked up a new word and I'm really sorry' she said biting her bottom lip

'Lauren!' Max scolded her

'It was an accident!' she told him 'He's already tried to tell mum what it is'

'Brilliant thank you' he said 'I'll get it in the neck all night because my eldest daughter has a mouth like a sewer' he rolled his eyes

'Joey let him watch monkeys have sex' Lauren said innocently

'Did he now?'

'Mmmhmm' Lauren nodded

Jack laughed 'That's right throw him to lions'

Lauren grinned 'So anyway we will be over for dinner tomorrow and I'll bring the pictures I took over for Oscar to show you all' she said

'Looking forward to it' Max said 'Right I'm going' he said he kissed Lauren on the cheek

'Yeah me too, see you later Lauren' Jack said and they left together.

Lauren brought drinks and she took them over to the table she saw the t-shirt that Joey was wearing and she smiled shaking her head 'I hope dad didn't see the back of that' she told him

'Why what's on the back of it?' Tyler said curious now. Lauren closed her eyes and a faint blush coloured her cheeks. Joey got up and he turned round so they could see.

'Who's the hot girl on the back?' Fats asked

'Me' Lauren said

'Ooooh!' Fats and Tyler exclaimed 'So how did you get that on there?' Fats asked

'It's a long and very complication process and the story is never going to be told to anyone else in this room' Lauren told them as Joey sat down again. She took a seat next to him putting his drink on the table in front of him.

'So I take it you two had a good time at the zoo with the sprog' Tyler said

'We had a good time' Lauren nodded and she pulled her camera out

'oh no you're not going to show us pictures of all the animals are you?' Tyler groaned

'Shut up' Lauren said as she scrolled through the pictures. She found the one she was looking for and she held it out to Whitney

'What is that?' Whitney said as she took the camera. 'Oh my god! You took a picture of monkeys having sex?' she squealed 'Wow that looks pretty uncomfortable'

'She took it so she could study it' Joey teased her 'See if she could recreate the position'

'No I didn't' Lauren glared at it 'and that is why you've been cut off' she told him. The camera was passed round the table, Alice looked quickly and Lauren grinned at her facial expression. Fats tilted his head much like Joey had at the Zoo

'Actually that looks quite difficult' he said, Poppy looked next

'Oh no!' she said 'I wouldn't even try to do that' she said. Tyler was next and he shrugged

'I don't know that looks doable' he said with a grin at Joey,

'That's what I thought' Joey replied laughing.

Whitney rolled her eyes 'Typical male' she said

Tyler kept the camera, scrolling through the pictures 'Who took this one of you two?' he asked and he gave the camera to Lauren. Joey and Lauren looked at it, it was a picture of the two of them kissing at the picnic bench.

'Oh that must have been Oscar' Lauren said and she looked at Joey

'That's a pretty good picture' he said. Lauren scrolled to the next one 'Oh and this one has tongue' he laughed. Lauren turned the camera off and put it back in her bag blushing a little. 'Oscar's pretty good with a camera, hey you know what to get him for his birthday now, a little kiddie camera' he told her

'Yeah that's a really good idea'

'I'm full of good ideas babe' he told her and he whispered in her ear.

'No Joey!' she told him firmly and she giggled

'You have to give me points for consistency' he grinned at her.

The 7 of them were all laughing and joking together when Lucy came in

'Well I guess my invitation got lost' she said as she walked over to them. The table fell quiet.

'Lucy' Whitney said 'We didn't think that you'd want to come' she told her

'Either that or I was deliberately missed out' she looked pointedly at Lauren.

'Lauren didn't arrange tonight. I did' Whitney said to her with a frown. 'Look you are more than welcome to join us, right Lauren?' Whitney said looking at her

'Of course, the more the merrier' Lauren said forcing herself to sound pleasant

'I'll just get a drink then' Lucy replied. Lauren shot Whitney an annoyed look and Whitney shrugged apologetically.

Lucy sat down next to Tyler, she noticed that Joey had put his arm around Lauren's shoulders and she was leaning against him.

'So what were we talking about?'

'Monkey sex' Fats said causing the table to erupt into a fit of laughter,

'Lauren and Joey took Oscar to the zoo today' Whitney explained once the laughter had died down 'The last stop was the monkey enclosure and one minute the monkeys were grooming each other and the next minute ….'

'They were shagging each other's brains out' Tyler said 'In front of poor little Oscar'

'He's traumatised for life' Alice added

'No Al that just you after looking at the picture' Lauren grinned causing the table to erupt into laughter again as Alice flushed bright red.

Lucy frowned when she heard Lauren use Joey's nickname for Alice.

'Show Lucy the picture then she'll agree with me' Alice said

Lauren reluctantly took the camera out of her bag and turned it on and scrolled through the pictures until she found it and she hesitantly handed it to Lucy. Lucy looked at the picture and she screwed her face up in disgust causing everyone to Laugh except Joey and Lauren.

'And Joey's upset that Lauren won't let him try it!' Fats said, the table went quite again and Lauren shot Fats a "What the fuck?" look.

Lucy tilted her head to one side. 'I'm not surprised! You'd probably end up in A&E' Lucy replied and she snuck a glance ant Lauren, 'that really doesn't look comfortable' she said 'and how is that leg…that's just wrong' she said with a grimace and everyone laughed again. 'Can I look through the pictures?' she asked Lauren

'Sure' Lauren said smiling sweetly at her knowing that at some point she would fine the picture of her and Joey kissing.

Joey frowned as Lauren got up 'Where are you going?' he asked her

'I have to pee if that's okay with you?' she replied 'Or are you keep track of all my bodily functions?'

'No that's just gross' he grinned at her.

'Do you want me to get you another drink on my way back?'

'Please' he nodded, he pulled a £10 out of his pocket and gave it to her.

'Thank you' she smiled and gave him a quick kiss, giving a sideways glance at Lucy to see if she was looking. Disappointed that she wasn't Lauren frowned and went to the bathroom. She brought 2 more drinks when she returned and saw Lucy was still looking through the pictures, she'd glanced over her shoulder as she returned to the table and knew she was about five away from the ones she wanted to see her reaction of. Lauren put the drinks down and stared at Lucy

'These are really good Lauren, did you take these?'

'Not all of them Oscar took some' Lauren replied with a smirk. Tyler knew what Lauren meant and he nudged her with his elbow, she glanced at him and he winked at her. Lauren saw Lucy's expression fall when she found the first kissing picture and she picked up her drink and took a sip to stop herself from grinning broadly, she turned to Joey and she gave held out her hand with the change, he'd put his arm around her again,

'Pocket' he said

Lauren opened his pocket at the top and dropped the change into it and the flapped the pocket trying to get the money to move further down.

'Oi Oi!' Fats called out from the other side of the table 'I'm not sure that you're allowed to do that in here. It's a family pub you know… especially not in front of his sister' Fats covered Alice's eyes and everyone started laughing again, Lucy looked up wondering what all the amusement was about, she saw Lauren pat Joeys pocket and then slide her hand over his thigh and then squeeze gently. She peeked up to see what Joey's reaction was and she saw him whispering something in Lauren's ear, she smiled and nodded and Joey whispered something else and Lauren giggled and slapped his thigh, Joey laughed. Tyler saw the interaction too and he nudges Lauren

'What did he say?' he asked her, she looked at Joey and he nodded

She leant forward and whispered in Tyler's ear and he roared with laughter and raised his glass to Joey.

'Don't encourage him' Lauren protested laughing as hard at the two boys 'I have to go home alone with him tonight!' she said and Tyler laughed harder

'Well we'll listen out for monkey noises later then' he grinned at her

'Listen all you want but they won't be coming from me' Lauren told him.

Lucy handed the camera back to Lauren 'They're really good. Bobby would like to look at these'

'Or better still you could take him to the zoo, let him see the real thing' Alice shot back 'Instead of some second hand pictures'

Lucy blinked surprised at the biting tone in Alice's voice 'What's up with you?' she asked her

'Leave it Alice' Lauren said and Lucy's head turned to her

'Oh has this got something to do with you? Been spreading lies about me have you?' Lucy said

'Lauren hasn't been spreading anything and this has nothing to do with her' Alice replied 'so don't have a go at her' she frowned at Lucy 'and don't think this fools any of us either. I've been watching you gazing at Joey' she said to her 'He's sitting there with his arm around his girlfriend and anyone who looks can see that he's clearly in love with her and you, you still send him a Valentine's card ….give up already god desperate much?'

'Al ….' Joey looked at her 'Its okay' he told her softly 'Lucy knows that I'm with Lauren' he said 'and that I'm not interested in her. Don't you Lucy?' he asked her

She went bright red and she got up and walked out of the pub. She heard Lauren laughing as she left and vowed she would do everything she could to split them up and get Joey back, however long it took.

When Joey and Lauren went home, he pretended he was scratching his knee and he grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder.

'Right monkey sex time!' he laughed heading for the bedroom

'NO! NO! JOSEPH BRANNING YOU PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!' Lauren squealed. Joey made gibbon noises and Lauren laughed so hard she had tears rolling down her face.

**AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter… back tomorrow. **

**Thank you for all the reviews love receiving them, love reading them. **

**Enjoy and R&R **


	100. Chapter 100

Lauren woke at 8:00am, she saw Joey was still asleep. She got up quietly and showered and dressed and then made herself a coffee and set up her laptop and printer and started to print off the pictures from the zoo to take over to her parents. She knew there wasn't much milk left, so while the pictures were printing she grabbed her keys and purse and left the flat quietly. She lost her footing a few stairs from the bottom and tumbled down, ending up on her ass at the bottom. She was fairly certain she hadn't done any serious damage and after she recovered from the shock she gingerly got to her feet. Her right arm stung and she looked at it and saw a pretty impressive carpet burn on her arm between her elbow and her wrist, about four inches long. She shook her head with a smile and then walked out of the flat. She felt a pain around her hip as she walked towards the Minute Mart. She got some milk, paid for it and stepped out of the shop. She glanced at the café and she limped over. Tyler was in there. Lucy was behind the counter and she frowned when Lauren walked in.

'You alright there?' Tyler asked her noticing her limping

'Yeah …I just fell down the stairs ..' Lauren said and she looked at Lucy 'Can I have a coffee to drink in please.'

'Sure' Lucy nodded 'I'll bring it over' she told Lauren. Lauren turned and limped to the table and Tyler frowned he pulled out a chair for her and she sat down

'Ow ow ow' she frowned

'What are you like hey?' he asked her 'Where's Joey?'

'He's still in bed' she told him, she looked at her elbow as Lucy looked up at her.

Lucy sighed and she grabbed the first aid box and took it over to the table with Lauren's coffee. She pulled a chair over and she looked at Lauren 'Let's have a look' she said 'Ouch that's going to be sore' she told her 'You are so clumbsy sometimes Lauren'

'I just lost my footing' she told her as she gently cleaned the area with antiseptic 'Ouch!'

'Sorry' Lucy gave her a sympathetic look.

Tyler looked at Lucy and then at Lauren 'Do you want me to call Joey?'

'No, it's not like I'm dying is it?' Lauren asked him 'I'll just have a coffee and once Nurse Lucy has patched me up I'm sure I'll be fine' she said and she looked at Lucy and the girls smiled at each other. Lucy looked at the burn

'I think you need to keep it uncovered get some air to it' she told her 'It might be a bit sore for a few days'

'Thanks' Lauren said

'You're welcome' Lucy said as she packed the first aid box and picked it up and headed back to the counter

'Lucy…' Lauren said and she turned to look at her 'I'm really am sorry about Joey….' Lauren told her 'I wanted to tell you '

'Its okay' Lucy told her 'you and Whitney and everyone else told me that Joey was seeing someone else, that he wasn't interested in me, I should have listened and not got my hopes up' she told her 'I'm not saying that it wasn't a shock to find out about the both of you and that it didn't hurt because it did' she said

'I never meant for you to get hurt' Lauren told her 'I am sorry'

Lucy smiled at her 'Thank you' she said

'And I'm sorry about last night, that Alice and Joey were blunt with you' she told her

''I deserved it' Lucy said 'You and Joey looked really happy together' she said

'We are' Lauren nodded and Lucy took a deep breath

'I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you' Lucy told her

'I deserved it' Lauren told her

'So we're still friends?' Lucy asked Lauren

'I hope so' Lauren nodded.

'Then we're friends' Lucy said grinning at her 'Coffees on the house'

'Thanks Luce' Lauren smiled at her.

Lucy took the first aid box back to the back of the kitchen and she smiled to herself, Operation Break up Lauren and Joey was going to be easier than she thought and she could bide her time, it had to be the perfect moment.

Tyler walked Lauren back to her flat, she still had a slight limp 'Are you sure you and Joey didn't try ….'

'No we didn't' Lauren said cutting him off rolling her eyes

'Because that would explain the limp'

'I fell down the stairs Tyler' Lauren giggled, he nodded

'So what was that that between you and Lucy at the Café earlier?' he asked her

'Have you heard the saying keep your friend close but keep your enemies closer?' she asked him

'So you and Lucy aren't best buds again?'

'I know Lucy better than anyone here' Lauren said to him 'Do you really think that she's suddenly okay with me and Joey?' Lauren asked him

'Well no' Tyler shook his head as they reached Lauren's flat. 'You think she's still going to make a play for Joey?'

'Of course she is' Lauren said to him 'when Lucy wants something Lucy will do everything that she can to get it. Doesn't matter who or what stands in her way' Lauren told him 'you saw what she did to Ian and he's her own flesh and blood'

'You worried? That she might get Joey?'

'No. Joey loves me, I have no doubt of that' she told him 'He won't fall for any of her tricks' Lauren shook his head 'Lucy will see in the end and she'll give up'

'You sure about that?'

'I'm sure of Joey's feelings for me yes' she nodded.

'Well I hope you're right' he told her

'I will be' she said 'I'd better go in' she said 'Thanks for walking me back'

'Anytime. See you later' she smiled at her 'I still think you tried monkey sex' he told her

'Go away Tyler' she told him with a grin.

**AN: So Lucy and Lauren are playing nice. Lauren has her suspicions about Lucy, Is she justified? IS she right will Lucy eventually get the message?**

**Next chapter time leap. **

**Thank you all so much for the reviews. I woke up to 23 new reviews this morning! I guess you are enjoying this story. Means a lot. Keep reading and reviewing **


	101. Chapter 101

Lauren took a deep breath as she straightened imaginary creases on her black trousers. She looked up at Alice and they shared a sad smile.

Alice made her way over to Lauren 'Are you okay?' she asked her as they stood outside the church.

'Yes I'm fine I just feel out of place' she said 'I mean it's not like I know anyone other than you and Joey' she said in a low whisper

'Joey needs you here' Alice replied 'I need you here' she added 'I know mum's sorry that she couldn't meet you today' Alice said 'But she's had this trip planned for months, she offered to cancel it but Joey wouldn't hear of it. Mum needs a holiday she hasn't had one for years. Olivia was adamant that she went too' Alice told her

'I feel like I'm gate crashing a funeral' Lauren replied

'You're not' Alice told her and she slipped her arm through Lauren's 'We better go in'

'Are you sure I look okay?'

'You look fine Lauren. Will you stop worrying!' she told her and she tugged on her arm. They walked slowly towards the doors of the church and she saw Joey standing next to a skinny blonde haired girl 'That's Olivia' Alice whispered

'She doesn't look how I imagined' Lauren whispered back

'All the girls he used to be with after her were blondes. You are the first brunette' Alice said with a smile

They reached the line at the door and waited patiently to go inside.

'Alice!' Olivia said 'Oh I am so glad you came' she hugged Alice tightly

'I'm really sorry Olivia' she told her

'Thank you' Olivia said

'Olivia, this is Lauren' Alice introduced them.

Olivia turned to look at Lauren and she appraised her quickly 'I'm so sorry that we meet under such sad circumstances' Lauren told her

'Me too' she replied 'I've heard a lot about you, all good' she added with a smile 'I'm grateful that you came. Even more grateful that you lent me Joey last night and for today' she said to her 'you will come back to the house after…'

'Oh I wasn't… I didn't want to intrude' Lauren said awkwardly.

'You wouldn't be' she said firmly 'Alice knows where we .. I live' she corrected 'I expect to see you there' Olivia told her

'Okay thank you. Joey's talked a lot about you and Rick over the past few days, I feel like I knew him and you' she said 'I am so sorry… I couldn't imagine losing Joey' Lauren said and she glanced at him and saw him talking with Alice, her eyes filled with unexplained tears and she looked at Olivia. 'I'm sorry'

Taking both girls by surprise, Olivia moved forward and she hugged Lauren 'You're good for him' she whispered in her ear. 'I've never seen him so happy', Olivia let Lauren go 'Thank you for coming' she told her. Lauren nodded and she moved along the line to find her standing in front of Joey.

'Hi' she whispered softly. Joey cupped her face in his hands and he kissed her, they shared five soft brief kisses before he pulled her into this arms.

'Hi' he murmured 'I missed you last night'

'I missed you too' she said, her voice thick with tears, she turned her face towards his neck and kissed him 'I love you'

'I love you too' he replied 'I'm glad you're here'

'I better go inside. I'm holding up the line' she said softly

'I know' he replied.

They reluctantly pulled apart and Joey held onto her hand as long as he could. Alice led Lauren into the church, tugging on her arm when she tried to sit at the back. Alice walked her to the front of the church and into the second row. 'Joey wants you close' she whispered 'made me promise that I wouldn't let you sit near the back'

Lauren smiled to herself, Joey knew her so well it sometimes surprised her how well.

Once everyone was seated the service began. Lauren watched as Olivia started to sob and Joey put his arm around her, she didn't feel any jealousy, she and Joey had spent many hours talking about Olivia and Rick and she knew that she had no reason to be jealous.

Joey got up to read a eulogy. Lauren knew it off by heart as he had insisted that she read it and help him write it when he struggled to put his feelings into words. He cleared his throat and he started to read.

'I've known Rick since I was 3 years old. We soon became best friends and we would do everything together. Get into fights, get into trouble, skive off school, wherever one of us the other was there too.' he said 'we were pretty inseparable. He was the brother that I never had' Joey paused and took a deep breath 'We had our differences too. But we got over them and we got even closer. He was always there when you needed him, to give you advice, to yell at you and tell you that were an idiot or to stick up for you when you needed it' he said 'I remember when we were 15 years old and his dad had made some wine in the basement and we decided in our wisdom that we would have a little taste. Suffice to say a little taste grew into a bit more than that and when his parents came home they found us both totally drunk and Rick had convinced me that it would be a good idea to give him a buzzcut. Being 15 and drunk and not really sure what number setting a buzz cut was, I ended up taking off far more of his hair than was intended and the nickname Kojak followed him around for years.' A soft ripple of laughter echoed around the church.

Joey paused again and took a deep breath, he glanced up at Lauren and she nodded her head in encouragement. 'Rick Edwards is.. was a good man. A good friend, a good husband and he loved Olivia more than life itself' he said and he looked at Olivia. 'He….he..' Joey licked his lips and took another breath letting it out slowly 'He …' Lauren gave her purse to Alice and she got up and she walked towards Joey, carefully climbed the six steps to stand next to Joey and she slipped her hand in his. He turned to look at her and she squeezed his hand, he gripped it tightly. Having her by his side gave him the strength that he needed to continue. He took another breath and started to speak again 'He was the best of all of us. He was taken too soon.. he had so much more life to live and so much to do and experience' he said 'Rick.. Kojak… We're all going to miss you mate, you may be gone but you'll never be forgotten'

Joey and Lauren walked back to the benches, Joey wouldn't let her hand go and she sat down next to him on the bench.

'Thank you Joey' Olivia whispered softly.

**AN: And the reviews keep coming! Wow I am overwhelmed with the response to this story. Thank you so much. **

**I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Back later. **


	102. Chapter 102

They sat on the train on the way back to Walford. Joey and Lauren were seated next to each other, Joey clutching one of her hands in his as he stared out of the window. Alice was siting opposite them reading a magazine. Lauren was lost in her thoughts.

The wake was brutal. She felt so out of place and if it wasn't for the fact that Joey kept hold of her hand the whole night she probably would have made some excuse and gone back to his mother's house. Not that she didn't want to be there for him, but she felt like she was intruding.

He had introduced to her to all his friends and had listened to countless stories of Rick and Joey's exploits when they were younger.

Joey had told her that he wanted to share a few drinks with some of his friends in memory of Rick and Lauren had told him that it was okay. So Joey had a few beers and some brandy's with his friends, Lauren stuck to soft drinks. Joey let her go when she needed to go to the bathroom and when Olivia stole her away for a chat. They'd only been together for 10 minutes when Joey reclaimed her and took her back to his friends.

Alice had left at 8:00pm with a migraine and Lauren tried leave with her but Alice insisted all she would do when she got back to the house was take some pain killers and crawl into bed.

Joey had got a little bit drunk, but at 10:00pm he suggested that they go. They walked back to the house in a comfortable silence, Joey still clutching her hand tightly, it was only a 20 minute walk and it seemed to sober Joey up a little bit. He unlocked the door and they went inside. Lauren made sure that the door was locked,

'Do you want a coffee?' she asked him 'Maybe something to eat?'

'No' he shook his head. 'I just want to go to bed… with you' he told her as they walked up the stairs. When Lauren discovered that they would be staying in his mother's house, and that their mother wouldn't be there, she had insisted that she would stay in Alice's room, telling Joey that she wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping with him.

'Joey…no' she said softly as they paused outside Alice's room

'Please …. I need you…..' he begged her as he pressed her up against the wall and started to kiss her while he undid her trousers.

He took her roughly and hard against the wall between his bedroom and Alice's. How Alice didn't wake up Lauren would never know. She had tried to be quiet but she wasn't as ready for him as she usually was and when he entered her almost violently she cried out in equal amounts of surprise and pain. Their coupling was almost primal and Joey had reached his climax minutes after he first entered her and she was left feeling more than a little frustrated not to mention sore. She knew that she was going to have bruises tomorrow, she also knew that this was what he needed, that he was taking comfort in her and for that she was grateful that she was there for him. Feeling too embarrassed to face Alice in cases she was awake she followed Joey to his room. She woke at 3:00am and used the bathroom and climbed back into Joey's single bed as carefully as she could without waking him.

'You were gone' he murmured as she shifted in the bed to get comfortable,

'Bathroom' she whispered softly. She felt him pulling at the t-shirt that she pulled on to sleep in and it was discarded quickly as Joey took her again, with the same amount of roughness but this time though she reached two peaks before he reached his.

She showered and dressed before he woke, unsure of what his reaction would be when he saw the bruises, unsure if he would even remember what happened last night.

He had kissed her tenderly the next morning not saying anything about the events of the night before when he got up and now they were sitting on the train. She glanced at him and saw that he was watching her.

'What are you thinking about?' he asked her as he ran his finger over the frown line on her forehead.

'It's not important' she said shaking his head, 'I love you'

Joey smiled 'I love you' he moved forward and he kissed her

'Urgh! Do you two mind, it was bad enough hearing you last night let alone seeing you two this morning' Alice grumbled from her magazine. 'You were so loud it was like you were doing it in the hall way'

Lauren felt her face heat up as she blushed bright red.

'We were' Joey replied with a grin. Alice looked up at him uncertain if he was joking, but she saw the colour of Lauren's face she knew he wasn't.

'I am so glad you two have your own place' she told them both clearly unimpressed, she raised her magazine higher so she couldn't see them.

'Thank you for last night' Joey whispered in Lauren's ear 'Both times, I didn't hurt you?' he asked and he pulled back to look at her, deciding not to reply verbally, she moved forward and she kissed him, sliding her tongue between his lips.

'I can hear you!' Alice grumbled, but Lauren and Joey ignored her.

**AN: Okay so…. The next chapter is set nearly a month after this one. And then there will be a few more big time leaps. **

**I am glad that you are all enjoying this story…. More later….. **

**R&R as always**


	103. Chapter 103

Lauren walked into the club to get ready for her shift. Joey had been working since 4:00pm having to do a stock take as Sharon and Jack had gone away for a few days. She went in to the back office and she took her jacket off and she opened her locker and she put it inside. She stored her bag in side too and she pulled her phone out and looked to see if she had any messages.

She saw she had one from Joey and she smiled and she opened it

_**'Missing you. Hope College went okay. Come find me in the basement when you get here J xxx' **_

She typed a quick response and hit send. Joey's phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out.

_**'College was dull and boring. I'm not coming down to the basement its creepy and damp. You want me come and get me! Missed you too Lxxx'**_

He laughed and he put his clipboard down and took the stairs 2 at a time, he crept through the club, peered in the office and saw it was empty and he looked behind the bar and saw her very shapely bottom greeting him as she bent over to pick up her keys. he crept up behind her and he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back against him. She squealed and spun round, straightening up.

'Joey! You scared me!' she chastised him, he grinned at her

'You told me to come and get you if I wanted you' he replied 'And here I am' he said, he reached out and tugged her towards him, she went willingly, pausing to put her keys on the bar. She slid her hands up his arms to rest them on his biceps 'I always want you' he reminded her 'Come here' he murmured softly as he drew her into a kiss. 'Mmm' Joey licked his lips, have you been eating raspberries?'

'Yeah I had a jelly for dinner' she told him 'Are we the only ones working tonight?'

'Yep' he nodded 'But we can handle it' he said to her 'We make a good team'

'True. You know what tonight is though don't you?'

'Ah yes the result of the bet we made' he said with a smile 'Feeling confident?'

'Yep you?'

'Very' he said

She frowned at him 'Have you counted then?'

'No I promised I wouldn't he said 'Why have you?'

'No if course not' Lauren said and she blushed a little and she turned away from him 'you better finish the stock check and I have to bottle up' she grinned to herself

'I've already bottled up as you know. You've already counted them haven't you?' he asked her, 'Look at me Lauren' he told her 'Lauren Branning! You turn around and look at me and tell me the truth!'

Lauren turned around to look at him unable to hide the grin on her face 'I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I just ... I couldn't help myself' she admitted to him 'I'm sorry' she said

'You little minx' he said 'I trusted you' he said trying hard not to smile 'So you know who's winning?' he asked her, she bit her bottom lip and nodded 'Is it me?' she shook her head and grinned at him 'You're winning?' he asked her and she nodded 'By how many?'

'Five' she said

'Right' Joey said and he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and he write x5 on it and he dropped in into his glass. 'Now we're on an even score' he told her 'So it all depends on tonight'

'Okay' she said nodding her head 'I'm really sorry Joey'

'The trust is gone' he teased her 'You are going to have to earn that back' he told her 'It's going to take a very very long time' he told her

Lauren grinned at him and then nodded 'Yes.. sorry' she said

'Right I am going to go and finish the stock take. Can I trust you up here by yourself or do I need you down in the basement with me?'

'You can trust me' she said with smile

'Good' he said and he gave her a quick kiss.

As the night progressed Lauren and Joey both flirted like mad with the people that they served. and they kept adding numbers to their glasses.

When he caught her putting 6 number in he frowned 'Are you cheating again?' he asked her

'Are you saying that I'm not attractive?' she shot back

'No but 6 numbers in one go?'

'Stag do' she grinned and nodded towards the table in the corner

'That's so not fair' he told her

'I'm gonna win' she sang as she went to serve the next customer.

After they had cleared up Joey made them both a coffee and they took the glasses to a table, sat down and they started counting.

'Okay how many have you got?' he asked her

'53' she told him 'You?' he frowned

'I can't believe you got 53 phone numbers' he said to her 'I mean I can believe it because you are gorgeous and sexy, it just means that 53 guys that came in here fancy you' he said to her 'And I don't think I like that. I'm going to have to get Sharon to fire you' he told her half seriously.

Lauren looked at him 'There maybe 53 phone numbers but there's only one person that I'd call back' she said and she picked up a little piece of paper and held it out to Joey 'you' she told him softly. 'You put your phone number in my glass'

'Yeah course I did' he said and he smiled at her.

She put her legs over his legs and moved so she was sitting on his lap, she draped her arms around his neck and she smiled at him 'You fancy me' she said in a sing-song voice

'Yes I do but you already knew that' he told her laughing 'So come on then, tell me what am I going to have to do?'

'Well...I've thought about this long and hard' she told him 'And I want you to clean the flat for a month and do all the food shopping so maybe you'll learn where the fridge is' she told him. He frowned

'I know where the fridge is?' he told her

'Really? Then why do you, every time I send you out to get milk, leave in the bedroom?' she asked him

'Because it winds you up' he grinned at her, she slapped him lightly 'Is that all you came up with, I thought you'd be more creative than that'

'There is another part to it' she said

'I'm listening' he said

'When you clean the flat it has to be when I'm there and you have to do it naked' she told him

Joey laughed 'Okay fine' he said to her 'If that's what you want' he said to her

'It is. I can ogle all I like while you dust and hoover' she grinned at him

'Mmm' he nodded and he smirked at her 'That would be if you won that is' he said to her 'I got 54 numbers' he said

'You cheated!' she said

'Nope. We were on an even score until a certain someone I know put her phone number in my glass' he said and he kissed the tip if her nose, Lauren scowled at him

'I only did it because I felt guilty for counting them earlier' she told him 'I wish I hadn't now'

'Someone's a sore loser' he grinned 'So what I want you to do is... actually I'm liking the cleeaing naked idea' he told her 'I think I might change mine to that. Watching you dusting and hoovering naked... no in those heels sharon got you and the suspender belt and stockings...mmm, I do like that idea' he told her. Lauren knew how much he liked that idea as she felt him harden beneath her bottom. 'Now I have a dilemma.' he said and he frowned 'My original thought when we first made the bet or this new idea' he teased her 'No I think I'm going to stick with my original' he nodded decisively

'And what's that?' Lauren asked him

'I want you to meet my mum' he told her softly.

**AN: So this is what Joey wanted when they made the bet. Even the thought of Lauren in stockings and suspenders are not enough to make him change his mind and you all know how much he liked Lauren in those! **

**So how will things go when Lauren meets his mother? **

**Find out tomorrow! **

**R&R as always...**


	104. Chapter 104

Joey got up at 6:00am Friday morning to go for a run, he kissed the top of her head before leaving the flat. Lauren woke at 6:45am and rolled over in bed to find that Joey had gone, 'Joey?' she called out with a frown and she turned to look at the bedside table and she found a note

'_**In case you wake up and I'm not here I've gone for a run. Back soon. Love you Jxxxx'**_ she read, she smiled and she put the note in a little box in her bedside drawer. She stretched and grinned to herself and then her face fell as she remembered what she had planned to do this morning. She threw the covers off the bed and got out and rummaged through her bag on the chair until she found what she was looking for. She took it into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She looked at herself in the mirror and let out a deep breath and then looked down at the home pregnancy test that she held in her hand, opened it and read the instructions. She wasted 5 minutes being a coward and then she sighed and took the test.

She knew she had to wait 10 minutes for the result, she jumped when she heard the flat door shut

'Shit!' she cursed knowing that Joey was back, he tried the bathroom door,

'Babe?' he called out

'Yeah one second' she called back, she scrambled around in the bathroom picking up the box the instructions and the test.

'Babe open the door' Joey tried the handle again

'I said one second Joey!' she snapped at him. Satisfied she had got everything she looked for somewhere to hide it. She grabbed a towel and wrapped everything in it and then flushed the toilet and unlocked the door,

'Since when do you the lock the door?' he asked her as he stepped into the bathroom and started the shower running.

'Well excuse me for wanting some privacy' she snapped at him and she pushed passed him and went into the bedroom and she grabbed her robe, she carried it through to the kitchen, she put the towel on the table and pulled on her robe with a sigh.

'Do you want to join me in the shower?' he asked called from the bathroom, she didn't reply as she hurriedly unwrapped the towel and scooped the contents into her hand and stuffed them into the pocket of her robe, just as Joey appeared in the doorway. 'Babe? Shower?' he asked her

'Can't I even shower on my own anymore?' she frowned at him

'Yes of course' he said 'Sorry I asked' he told her and he went back to the bathroom, she heard the door slam and she closed her eyes with a sigh.

While she waited for the 10 minutes to pass she put the kettle on and got the cups ready for coffee and put some bread in the toaster. She checked the clock and she pushed the button on the toaster to start it and she pulled the test out of her pocket and she looked at it, she frowned and pulled the instructions out and she looked at it and compared the pictures with the test result. It was supposed to be a cross for positive and vertical line for negative. Lauren had a horizontal line and there was no mention of that in the instructions.

'Perfect. Thank you very much' she muttered. She went back into the bedroom and put everything back in her bag on the chair before she went back to the kitchen.

When Joey came out of the bathroom, he could smell burning. Lauren had the kitchen window open and was waving a cloth.

'What happened?' he asked her

'I burnt the toast. I must have knocked the setting or something it didn't pop up' she said with a frown

'It's broken. I meant to buy a new one' he said 'Sorry'

'It's fine' Lauren said, she walked to the fridge, she saw that there was only enough milk for one coffee. 'I don't suppose you remembered to get milk either?' she asked him

'I didn't know we were out' he said

'I told you last night Joey and you said you'd get some on your way back from your run this morning' she frowned at him 'I really don't know why I even bother asking you to do anything' she told him 'I always end up doing it myself'

Joey frowned as Lauren walked out and a few minutes later dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt with her bag she went out of the front of the flat, slamming the door behind her. He looked out of the window as she walked towards the square.

She brought the milk and went into the café. 'Hi Lauren' Lucy said as she looked up 'What I can I get you?' she asked her

'Two pastries please' she said

'Joey's favourites' Lucy said 'Everything okay?'

'Yeah I just woke up on the grumpy side of the bed this morning' she said to her 'Poor Joey's only been back from his run for 20 minutes and I've already bitten his head off at least 3 times, and 10 of those 20 minutes he was in the shower'

'Well I'm sure these will help' Lucy told her as Lauren paid for them

'So there's no other reason for your bad mood?' Lucy asked her 'I mean you and Joey are okay?'

'Yeah we're fine' Lauren nodded 'I think I'm just a nervous'

'About what?' Lucy frowned

'Oh I thought I told you' Lauren said

'Told me what?'

'Joey's taking me home to meet his mum. We're having a long weekend there' Lauren told her 'I'm so nervous. Joey's never taken a girl home to meet his mum before' Lucy blinked, as that comment stung. 'Well I'd better get apologise. I'll see you later Luce' she said with a smile.

Joey saw Lauren coming back from the window and she had a grin on her face. It was still there when she went inside

'Well someone looks pleased with themselves' Joey said as she went into the kitchen

'Yeah I am' she said. She put the milk on the table and she gave Joey the pastries.

'What's this?' he asked her

'Pastries from the Café. Your favourites' she said to him

'Yeah?' he asked her

'It's the least I could do since I burnt the toast' she said to him 'I was making you breakfast to apologise for being snappy with you this morning. I just got out of the wrong side of the bed. I'm sorry' she told him 'And I guess I'm nervous about meeting your mum' she admitted to him, which was partly the reason she was snappish with him.

'Well then apology accepted' he said 'Come here' he held his arms open and she moved into them. 'Are you sure that's all it is?' he asked her 'You're not still annoyed about Lucy's comments last night in the Vic?'

'A little yeah but like the saying goes payback is a bitch' she said to him and she pulled back to look at him

'Should I even ask?'

'I just told her that we were going to spend a long weekend away together and that you were taking me home to meet your mother' Lauren told him

'Don't you think that was a little mean?' he asked her 'You know that she wanted to meet my mum'

'No I don't' Lauren told him and she moved out of his arms with a frown, she turned the kettle on again. 'I didn't realise that you were such a big fan of Lucy's' Lauren said 'or maybe you were just enjoying the little trip down memory lane last night'

'No of course I wasn't' Joey said and he put the pastries on the table. 'Hey…' he walked over to her and he touched her arm. She shrugged his hands off.

'I'm going to go take a shower' she told him 'Do you think you can clean up in here?' she asked him and she walked off.

'Well done Joey' he frowned.

Two hours later they were on the train heading to his old stomping ground. Lauren had her sketch pad out in front of her and she was listening to her Ipod in. She had barely said two words to him since he put his foot in it in the kitchen and now she was making sure that there was no chance of a conversation. He sighed for the 11th time and he nudged her gently, she looked at him and he gestured for her to take the ear buds out. She put her pencil down and did what he wanted

'What?' she asked him

'Are you planning on not talk to me all weekend?'

'It's a possibility' she replied

'I've apologised Lauren, what else do you want me to do?' he asked her

'Mean it' she replied

'I do mean it' he told her and he frowned at her 'Why do I get the feeling that you're trying to pick a fight with me?' he asked her 'Are you that worried about meeting mum?'

Lauren sighed 'What if she doesn't like me?'

'Why wouldn't she like you?' he frowned 'Alice hasn't stopped raving about you to her every time they talk, and me… well you know how I feel about you, and so does mum' he told her 'You haven't got anything to worry about' he told her 'I promise, she is going love you' he gave her a reassuring smile. 'Okay?'

'Okay' she nodded and she licked her lips

'So does that mean that you're not angry with me anymore?' he asked her, she shrugged 'Please babe, I don't want to go to mum's with us fighting over silly things'

Lauren look at him 'I don't either' she replied and she looked back at her sketch and started to shade in bits

'But?' he asked her 'You're still annoyed about Lucy' he said 'Look you know what she did last night was only to wind you up' he said to her 'I don't even remember half the stuff she was talking about, it could have been some other guy for all I know' he told her softly 'You didn't show that it was getting to you last night, you didn't rise to it, you were the bigger person.' He said and he licked his lips 'And I was proud of you for that. And then this morning, you sink to her level' he told her 'That's not the Lauren I know'

'I know' she said and she sighed and she put her pencil down and she looked at him 'I'm sorry' she told him

'You don't have to apologise' Joey said to her 'I should have said something to Lucy last night to shut her up, I knew what she was doing but I thought ignoring her was the best policy and clearly I was wrong' he told her 'So am I forgiven?' he asked her

'Yes' she nodded

'Can I have a kiss then?'

Lauren rolled her eyes and she gave him a quick kiss, he pouted and she shook her head with a smile and she kissed him again, a long lingering kiss. 'Better?' she asked him

'Yes thank you' he told her 'So does that mean you'll talk to me for the rest of the train journey.'

'Yes' she sighed and she put her sketch pad and pencil in her bag. 'What do you want to talk about?' she asked him

'Well I talked to mum about the sleeping arrangements and she said that it's okay for you to sleep with me in my room' he told her

'Joey….'

'You know I hate sleeping without you' he said to her 'And I know you don't like sleeping without me either' he told her

'All right fine but we are not having sex' she told him

'Babe…'

'I mean it Joey' she said firmly 'I haven't brought my pills with me so….'

'That's okay I can buy some condoms' he told her

'I don't want to have sex Joey' she hissed at him and she got up and went into the toilet leaving Joey confused.

When she came back he could see that she had been crying, she sat down and he looked at her as he took her hand 'Lauren what's wrong?' he asked her 'And don't say nothing because I know you. I know that there is something wrong' he paused to let her reply but she didn't. 'We haven't had sex for over a week and I know that we are more than sex, but we had a healthy sex life and suddenly it's none existent. I touch you and you push me away' he told her 'So please talk to me?'

She sighed and she closed her eyes 'I'm late' she told him 'I stopped taking the pill 8 days ago and I should have had a period and I haven't and I had 2 pills left over which means that I obviously forgot to take it … twice'

'8 days?' he asked her and she nodded 'Why didn't you say something?' she shrugged 'we're supposed to talk about things remember?' her asked her

'I know… I just thought that maybe it would come and it didn't and I didn't want to tell you until I knew for certain and this is just a big mess' she told him and she covered her face with her hands

'Hey, don't cry' he told her 'Ssh, hey' he put his arm around her 'Look there's a chemist 5 minutes from mum's we'll stop and pick up a test …'

'I already took a test' she said 'This morning'

'And?' he asked her

'I don't know' she said 'It said a vertical line was negative and a cross was positive'

'So what did the test say?'

'It had a horizontal line on it' she told him 'It didn't say anything about a horizontal line' she said softly

'Then we'll get another one and you can take it at mum's' he said to her 'I can't believe you didn't tell me, I thought we could tell each other anything'

'I just didn't want to tell you if it was nothing to worry about' she said

'But you've been worrying about it for 8 days' he said and he looked at herm he brushed her tears away with his fingers 'I thought we promised to talk to each other to be honest?'

'I know we did but..'

'No buts' he interupted her 'You have to tell me when stuff like this happens. It's not fair for you to shoulder the worry and the responsibility'

'What do we tell your mum?'

'Nothing' he told her 'There's nothing anyone' he shook his head 'Whatever happens we deal with it together remember?'

She nodded 'Aren't you worried?' she asked him

'Yeah, I am but until we know for certain either way there's not much we can do is there'

'No' she shook her head. Joey smiled at her, raising her chin with his fingers so he could kiss her lightly.

'What am I going to do with you hey?'

They stopped off at the chemist and Joey brought a couple of tests and when they walked passed a florists Lauren insisted that she buy some flowers to give to his mother, much to Joey's amusement. Joey walked straight in and then turned to look at Lauren 'Well are you coming in or are you gonna stand there and let all the heat out' Joey said

She blinked and smiled and stepped inside 'Joey love is that you?' she heard a soft woman's voice call out

'Yeah mum it's me' Joey called back, he looked at Lauren and he took her hand

'I hope you brought Lauren with you' she called back

'Yeah she's here' Joey said 'Although she seems to be a bit shy at the minute' he grinned at her Lauren. He tugged on her hand and pulled her into the lounge.

Joey's mother was nothing like what Lauren imagined. She had the same colour hair as Alice and she was a thin women, very attractive and glamorous. Lauren blinked as Joey let her hand go and hugged his mum and kissed her on the cheek. 'Hello Mum' he said

'Oh look at you' she said to him 'Are you still working out?' she asked him

'Yep' Joey nodded 'Mum, this is Lauren' he told her

His mother turned to look at her and she saw that she had the same dark brown eyes that Joey had.

'Hello Mrs Branning, it's nice to meet you' Lauren said

Joey smirked 'Mrs Branning pfft. Call me Sarah' she told Lauren and she walked over to her 'So you're Max's eldest?'

'Yes' she nodded

'I remember seeing you when you were about 3 years old' Sarah told her 'Pretty little thing you were then, I told your mother that she'd better watch you when you grew up, have all the boys buzzing round you like bees to honey' she said 'And I was right look at you know, gorgeous' she said

'Thank you' Lauren said a little awkwardly

'Lauren doesn't take compliments well' Joey told her with a wide grin on his face.

'Well we'll have to see what we can do about that won't we' Sarah smiled at her and she looked at the flowers 'Oh did Joey buy you flowers?'

'Er...no' Lauren looked at the bunch or flowers she had in her hand 'I er I brought this for you' Lauren said holding them out to her

'Oh how sweet of you Lauren thank you' she said with a smile 'It's been a long time since any brought me flowers' she said looking pointedly at Joey, 'Why don't you take the bags up to Joey's room, freshen up a little while I put these in some water and put the kettle on' Sarah said to them both 'And then you and me can have a little chat hey?' she said to Lauren

Lauren smiled and nodded.

**AN: So Lauren thinks she might be pregnant! Wonder how that news will go down on the square if she is! **

**Lucy's still trying to cause trouble between them. **

**And Joey's taken Lauren home to meet his mother. Wonder what they are going to chat about. **

**Back later...**

**As always R&R and thank you for all the reviews so far! You guys rock! **


	105. Chapter 105

Lauren sat down on the edge of the bath as Joey read the instructions on the tests.

'Okay you just need to pee on both of them' he told her as he gave her the test. Lauren looked up at him 'Well off you go then'

'A little privacy would be nice thank you' she told him

Joey rolled his eyes and he stepped out of the room and he closed the door. A few minutes later Lauren flushed the toilet and Joey came back in as Lauren was washing her hands.

'Okay we have to wait 10 minutes for both' he told her 'you'd better go downstairs before my mum sends out a search party and I'll stay here , I'll come down when the results are back' he told her

'What no I …'Lauren started to protest

'It's not me she wants to talk to' he reminded her 'Go I'll be 10 minutes' he told her

'What if they're positive?' she asked him

'Then we'll talk about what we're going to do' he said to her softly. 'Hey if I was prepared to stick by you through cancer do you really think I'm going to run for the hills if you're pregnant?' he asked her

'No' she shook her head

'No' he confirmed 'Now go on do as you are told' he said

Lauren reluctantly went down stairs 'Ah there you are' Sarah said 'I didn't ask if you wanted tea or coffee'

'Coffee please I don't really like tea' she told her

'Just like me and Joey' she said with a smile. 'Sit down Lauren' Lauren sat down stiffly 'I'll just be a tick' she told her. Lauren played with her fingers and then with the necklace Joey had given her.

Sarah came back with the coffee and put the cups down on the table in front of them 'Oh what a beautiful necklace' Sarah said 'Where did you get that?'

'Joey gave it to me for Valentine's Day' Lauren told her

'Did he now?' she asked her 'Well that has to be a first. My Joey buying a girl a gift for Valentine's Day' she said and she smiled 'Actually it's a first Joey bringing a girl home to meet his mum, for a while I thought he was never going to settle down with a nice young lady. I supposed he just needed to sow some wild oats first' she glanced towards the door 'what is he doing up there?'

'I think he's giving us some time alone' Lauren told a little white lie

'Mmm yes you're probably right' Sarah nodded her head 'not only does Joey think the world of you but Alice does too, you are all she talks about' Sarah said 'She tells me that you are working at the club now with Joey?'

'Yes, a few nights a week' Lauren said 'I'm doing a media design course at College so I get time off when I have assignments that I need to do'

'I remember Joey telling me that you were very artistic, you draw?'

'Yes with pencils or charcoal' Lauren nodded 'I mainly do faces, watch people, get them down, but I sometimes draw pictures for Oscar, he's my little brother'

'And you have a younger sister too don't you? Abigail?'

'Abs.. Abi' Lauren nodded 'She's studying for her A-Levels. She's the smart one in the family, her and Oscar anyway' Sarah glanced at her as she picked up her coffee and took a sip.

'And what about you Lauren. Joey tells me that you are very smart'

'Well I'm in a relationship with my cousin so…' she shrugged 'A few people didn't think that was very smart'

'And they would be?'

'My mum, Derek, Lucy'

'Max is okay with you and Joey?' Sarah raised her eyebrows in surprise

'Yeah actually he is' Lauren said as she picked up her coffee 'Out of mum and dad I would have picked mum to be okay and not dad but no dad said if I'm happy then he's happy'

'And are you? Happy with Joey?' Sarah asked her

Lauren looked up at Sarah and she nodded 'Yes. I love Joey' she told her. Sarah nodded

'We don't need to talk about Derek, we both know what he was like, this Lucy?'

'She was… is…was one of my best friends' Lauren told her 'Joey had a brief fling with her when he first came to Walford, before he figured out how he felt about me, us. It wasn't anything serious, not on Joey's part anyway, Lucy was far more invested than she let on, she even tried to convince Joey to bring her home to meet you but Joey wouldn't even talk about it, He told her no outright. Joey and Lucy had broken up long before anything physically happened between me and Joey, but Lucy's acting like I stole him from her. Like I've ruined this big epic love that they had'

'And of course that's all in Lucy's head?' Sarah asked her 'This big epic love?'

'Joey told her that he wasn't interested in her like a million times but she just won't let it go. She's like a dog with a bone' Lauren frowned 'We went out the other night with our friends and Lucy was there, they're her friends too and she spent all night bringing up things that she and Joey had done together'

'What did Joey say?'

'Nothing. He adapted the "ignore it and it'll go away" approach' Lauren rolled her eyes

'Sounds like Joey' Sarah smiled 'And what did you do?'

Lauren bit back a smile 'I may have mentioned that Joey was bringing me back to meet you' Lauren told her

'Well played' Sarah grinned at her

'Joey doesn't think so, told me off for rising to the bait'

'Well don't listen to Joey. You need to put this Lucy in her place. Joey's made his choice and she needs to accept it'

'I don't think it's going to be that simple' Lauren said with a sigh 'Lucy used to getting what she wants, doesn't matter who gets hurt in the process'

'Interesting sounding girl, and you were best friends with her because…'

'We went to school together, I dated her brother once.'

'Ah I see' Sarah nodded. 'Well I'm sure that Lucy will get over it soon enough, I can see why Joey's smitten with you' she told her 'and Olivia told me about the funeral, the way that you helped Joey through the eulogy' she told her 'the way he wouldn't let you leave his side' Lauren blushed a little 'He and Rick were such good friends. I know Joey hoped that you two would meet and Rick would have adored you'

Joey came in to the room. Lauren looked at him and he shook his head, Sarah saw Lauren visible relax 'So what did I miss?' Joey asked as he sat down next to Lauren

'I was just telling Lauren here that she is far too good for you' Sarah replied

'I know' Joey said 'She is' he said linking his fingers through her hand.

**AN: So the first meeting. Lauren and Joey's mum have hit it off.**

**So what lies ahead for the couple? Keep reading and find out.. more time leaps ahead.**

**As always R&R **


	106. Chapter 106

Sarah left at 7pm to play bridge at the pub with her friends, leaving Lauren and Joey alone for the first time since they get there.

Lauren made Joey take her upstairs so that she could look at the tests herself. She frowned seeing that they were both negative.

'Maybe you've just been stressing out about meeting mum and the thought that you might be pregnant' he told her 'Stress can do things to a woman's monthly cycle' he told her, she looked up at him in surprise 'What? I lived in a house with two women, they left their magazines lying around and when I was bored I'd read them' Joey shrugged. Lauren collected the boxes and tests and stuffed them into her bag so that Joey's mother didn't find them. She sighed and she sat down on his bed.

'You don't want to go out tonight do you?' he asked her

'Honestly no' she said shaking her head 'But you can go. I'll just stay here, maybe draw a little, have a bath and an early night' she said to him

'I can stay'

'I could use a little me time' she told him with a smile

'If you're sure?' he asked her

'Yes go out have fun with your friends' she replied 'I will be fine here by myself, I promise'

'Okay. I won't be out late and if you want me to come home text me' he said softly, she nodded.

Joey returned home at 10:00pm after much abuse from his friends about him being pussy whipped and a light weight when he stuck to soft drinks all night. He walked into the bedroom and found Lauren asleep. He got changed and used the bathroom and climbed in to bed as carefully as he could without waking her and eased her into his arms. When Sarah arrived home she checked that Lauren and Joey were in before she locked up the house, she smiled when she saw the two of them wrapped around each other. She liked Lauren, she liked Lauren a lot. And she could see that she was good for Joey and that the two were clearly in love.

The weekend passed and Lauren was sad to leave Sarah, but the two had exchanged phone numbers and promised to keep in regular contact with each other.

Monday night Lauren was laying on the sofa watching an old black and white film and Joey was sitting at the kitchen table paying bills.

'Joe?' Lauren said softly

'Mmm?'

'I'm thirsty'

'What do you want?' he asked

'Coffee please' she replied 'and some of those crispy cheesy chippy things you brought the other day' she told him

'Okay, coming up' he said, she could hear him moving around in the kitchen and five minutes later he brought her a drink and snacks.

'Thank you' she smiled at him 'Are you nearly finished with the bills?'

'Nearly'

'Can they wait?' she asked him moving forward on the sofa and flipping the blanket forward 'Come lay with me'

'As if I could refuse you anything' he said with a smile. He climbed on the sofa behind her and she smile as she snuggled back against him. 'How do you feel? Still cramping?' he asked her

'No not so much' she said, her period had arrived this morning, much to her relief. 'I'm better now you're with me' she felt him kiss her neck.

'Good' he smiled.

**AN: Tiny tiny chapter I know…. Just needed to round this part off…Next part 6 month time leap**

**Hope you enjoy R&R **


	107. Chapter 107

**AN: jump six months ahead…. So it's now September**

**This chapter is all about updating you with what has happened in those six months…. **

Joey and Lauren's relationship had gone from strength to strength. They had now been together for 9 months. Her relationship with her mother had taken a setback when Lauren, whilst talking to Abi about sex unaware that he mother was listening, had encouraged Abi to do what she thought was right and if she was certain that sex was the next step to take in their relationship and that Abi was ready then she should take the leap. This conversation then moved onto contraceptives and Lauren had spilled the beans on her and Joey's pregnancy scare 6 months earlier to make the point that even the pill isn't 100% effective and that Abi should go and see the GP and talk through her options. Lauren even offered to go with her, so she didn't have to go alone, like she had to.

After Abi had left, thanking Lauren for her help and advice and for being the best sister ever. Tanya has practically accused Lauren of trying to turn Abi into a slut. She also called Lauren irresponsible for her pregnancy scare. Max had come in at the tail end of the conversation, having heard Tanya screaming at Lauren from outside the house. And a tearful Lauren had stormed out of the house, another blazing row had occurred between Max and Tanya.

Tyler and Whitney's were still dating, as were Poppy and Fats. Alice had a brief fling with a boy called Justin who, Joey had taken an instant dislike to and, despite Lauren's protests and warnings that Alice would not thank him for it, he had played the big brother card and had scared Justin so badly that he disappeared out of Alice's life. Alice had not spoken to her brother for 3 weeks, which had driven Joey crazy, but when he had introduced her to Lucas, a new very handsome bouncer at the night club, she forgave him. Joey never thought that Lucas would fall for his sister but the two had been dating for 2 months but to Joey's annoyance.

In July, Lucy, despite seeing how happy Lauren and Joey were together, had still made several unsuccessful attempts at getting Joey back and he rebuffed each and every one of them. The last attempt being when she called Lauren asking her if she could send Joey over as she had a burst pipe in the house and water was going everywhere. She claimed she had called a plumber but that it would take over an hour for him to get there and that she couldn't turn the water off. Lauren decided to tag along, much to Lucy's surprise and anger, and they discovered that there was no water leak and that Lucy had upped her game to outright seduction, and was dressed in a baby blue basque, a thong, and white stockings and suspenders. Lauren and flipped at this point and Joey had to restrain her for fear that she would kill Lucy, which Lauren had every intention of doing. Joey had, in no uncertain terms, told Lucy that she could have been lying there naked on the carpet and he still wouldn't have been interested in her and he told her to grow up and move on. (or words to that effect)

Lauren had fumed about this latest play for Joey for days and Joey was almost reluctant to let her leave the flat alone in case she bumped into Lucy and made good on her threats to "gut her like a fish". Shortly after Whitney had informed them that Lucy had gone to visit her brother in Cornwall and both Joey and Lauren hoped that she'd stay there.

Lauren's grandmother Cora had also moved to the square and which caused even more friction between Tanya and Max, especially when she moved in with them. Jack and Sharon had become engaged and where planning the wedding. Sharon has asked Lauren to design the invitations and the seating cards and had also asked Lauren to be her bridesmaid, Lauren was thrilled but stipulated to Sharon that she didn't do "lace, bows, bright ugly colours and taffeta". Sharon told her that Lauren would be able to pick which dress she wanted, and Lauren was happy.

Lauren had finished part of her College course and was waiting for the results so she knew if she needed to do an additional module to make up her scores for the following year.

Sarah and Lauren had kept in touch and they talked every week on the phone. Joey and Lauren had even been back to visit twice and Sarah had been to Walford to visit them and promised that she would come back soon. Olivia had also promised to come up but then when she discovered she was pregnant she had to rethink her plans to sell the house and move to France even if it was temporarily, so she had been busy at home, but promised that she should visit before she got too big to leave the house. Lauren and Olivia often spoke on the phone or via Skype and the two had become good friends and Lauren was looking forward to her visit.

Lauren continued to work at R&R with Joey and had designed leaflets for 4 club nights that they had. Phil was pleased with the profits that the club was making and taking full advantage of Lauren's talent had got her to rebrand the garage. Not to be outdone, Ian, who had taken over the business whilst Lucy was away asked Lauren to rebrand the Café and Chippie, which Lauren had been more than happy to do, especially since she knew Lucy would hate the fact that she was the one doing it. She had many suggestions for names for the café but didn't show Ian the one she wanted to see up outside the shop the most. A sign that she felt was simple, direct and to the point "Bitches".

As Lauren sat in the Vic waiting for Joey she wondered what the next 6 months of life in Albert Square would bring.

**AN: So hope this all makes sense…. Regular chapters resume….maybe tonight if not tomorrow. **

**Enjoy and R&R as always **

**404 reviews in total so far … thanks guys (grins and blushes) **


	108. Chapter 108

Lauren took another sip of her coke and glanced at the time on her phone. Joey was 20 minutes late.

Tyler came in with Whitney 'Been stood up have you?' he asked her with a grin

'Apparently so' Lauren nodded 'Come join me? Keep me company?'

Tyler got a round of drinks and brought them over to the table 'so where is he anyway?'

'Clearly not where he's supposed to be' Lauren replied 'This is the second time in 3 days he's been late'

'Maybe he has another girl on the side' Tyler teased her

'He does that and he'll never has sex again' Lauren told him and she made a snipping motion with her fingers, Tyler cringed crossing his legs as Whitney laughed

'Who is never having sex again?' Joey said as he came in and took a seat next to Lauren 'Not me I hope' he grinned as he gave his girlfriend a kiss

'Word of warning mate. Don't cheat on Lauren' Tyler said 'Or you'll end up like that Bobbit bloke'

'Multi-millionaire porn star?' Joey asked innocently as Lauren's phone beeped. She looked down at it and saw it was from Ant.

'Not in your case babe, your parts will go through the mincer' Lauren told him as she sent a quick reply to Ant 'Excuse me' she said as she stood up.

Joey moved out of her way as she went to the bathroom. 'Ooh that makes me squeamish just thinking about it' Tyler said

Lauren came back to the table and Joey shifted along and she sat down 'so you were late because…?' she asked Joey

'I was doing some extra work for Sharon'

'What extra work?'

'Moving crates'

'Really? I tried to call you and your phone was engaged' Lauren told him

'I may have taken a phone call' Joey shrugged

'From who?' Lauren pressed

'What's with the 20 questions?' Joey asked her

'Just curious' she asked him

'Well you know what curiousity did don't you?' he asked her

'Fine don't tell me then see if I care' Lauren said as her phone beeped again. She smiled at the text and then sent one back

'Who are you texting?' Joey asked her

'What's it to you?' Lauren replied

Tyler and Whitney looked at each other and grinned 'All right I was talking to my mother if you must know' Joey replied

'I know she called me afterwards' Lauren told him with a grin. 'And I'm not telling you who I'm texting'

'Ant' he said 'He's texting you about going up to Manchester' Joey said.

Lauren frowned and she turned to look at him 'How do you know?'

'He called me talked to me about it' Joey grinned back 'You have no secrets from me babe, just as I have none from you' he said 'So are you going to Manchester?' he asked her

'No I can't that weekend' Lauren told him

'Why?' Joey frowned

'It's a secret' she told him giggling.

'You are an impossible girl' Joey told her 'so are we going to this movie or what?' he asked her and he looked at his watch, we can catch the next viewing?'

'I'm not really in the mood to see a movie' Lauren told him 'I'm kind of in a staying in the pub mood with my friends' she looked at him 'Maybe we stay for a drink or two and then have an early night?' she asked him. Joey perked up at the mention of an early night.

'Yeah okay I'm up for that' he nodded

'That's what I'm hoping' Lauren grinned at him and she moved forward and she kissed him

'Do you two mind?' Tyler frowned 'You've been seeing each other for 9 months now. Watching you two make out used to be novel but now it's just annoying. Clearly you're having more sex than I am!'

'Oi! Whitney said slapping his arm with a frown

'Oh speaking of sex Olivia told me that she found out the sex of the baby today' Lauren told Joey 'It's boy and she wants us to be god parents'

'That's really great. Did you say yes?'

'Of course I did' Lauren nodded 'She's planning to come up with Sarah next weekend'

'How do you know all this stuff and I don't?' Joey asked her with a frown 'I just spoke to my mum and she didn't mention any of this'

'Did she mention that I invited them to dinner Saturday night and then they're coming to the club?'

'No' he shook his head 'I suppose I'm cooking?' he asked her

'That's so sweet of you to offer baby' Lauren told him with a grin. 'Thank you. There'll be 5, I invited Alice' she told him.

Tyler and Joey went to get some more drinks and Whitney moved round to sit next to Lauren

'Have you heard from Lucy?' Whitney asked her

'Yeah we exchange daily phone calls' Lauren replied sarcastically,

Whitney tutted 'Look she text me and she said she was coming back this weekend' she told me 'She asked me not to tell you but with your weekend plans and you being my best friend… I'm telling you' she said

'Have you spoken to her?' Lauren asked her

'Only by texts. She asked if you and Joey were still together once or twice'

'So she still has a thing for Joey then'

'I would say so' Whitney nodded

'I appreciate you telling me Whit' Lauren told her 'and I promise that I won't let on that you told me'

'Just… watch your back okay… You know what's she like'

'I can handle Lucy' Lauren told her

**AN: So Lucy's on her way back to the Square. And still holding a torch for Joey. **

**Wonder what happens when she returns….. **

**As always R&R **


	109. Chapter 109

Sarah and Olivia arrived Friday morning and Alice welcomed them into her house and settled them in Joey's old room and her room and then she took them both on a trip around the square mainly for Olivia.

Lauren had to go to college to get her results and then she was meeting her dad at the little diner across the road from college of lunch. Joey was working in the club bottling up and making sure that the delivery was right and put away before he met his mother for lunch in the Vic.

Joey smiled when he saw her 'Hi' he walked over to her and he kissed her check and gave her a hug

'Hello darling' she said 'I got you a coke is that okay?'

'Yep perfect' he told her 'Did you order food?'

'I thought we would have a salad as you're cooking for us tonight. You want us for 7pm?' she told him 'Lauren not with you?'

'No she had to go to college to pick up her results and then she's meeting Max for lunch' he told her 'and 7pm is fine.' he paused 'Did you bring it?' he asked her

'Yes of course I did' she told him, she opened her handbag and she pulled out a little black velvet box and slid it along the table to Joey. 'Why you couldn't have it delivered to your own flat I'll never know' she said to him. He opened the box and he looked inside and he grinned

'Did you look?'

'I may have peeked' she nodded 'It's beautiful. I think she'll love it'

'Yeah me too' Joey grinned 'Now I just need to find somewhere to hide it where a certain person won't find it until I can find the right moment to give to her'

'What about the club? You have a safe don't you?'

'Yeah but then I'd have to explain to Sharon…' he said 'I'll figure it out' he said and he put the box safely in his pocket.

Later when he let himself into the flat he could hear the shower running. He walked into the bedroom and he looked for somewhere to hide the box. Nearly every place he thought of he knew she would find, so he decided to take his mum's advice and hide it at the club.

He took his jacket off and put it on the chair and then went into the bathroom, he stripped his clothes off quickly and he stepped into the shower. 'Hello lover' he murmured as he slid his arms around Lauren's waist.

She smiled 'Mmm I wasn't expecting you home yet' she said turning around in his arms,

'Good surprise?' he asked her

'Always' she replied with a smile.

'How did you get on at College?'

'I passed' she grinned at him 'So I don't have to take any extra modules next year. Just focus on the last one and then I'm done' she told him.

'Who's a clever girl?' he asked her as he moved forward and kissed her

'Me' she grinned at him

'Mmhmm that's right' Joey nodded 'You are' she smiled at him 'And good girls get rewards' he told her as he drew her into a kiss as he pressed her back against the wall of the shower…

At 6:00pm Joey and Lauren were in the kitchen. Joey was chopping vegetable to go with the roast chicken they were having for dinner and Lauren was laying the table. She opened the window to get some air in and she Tyler and she waved at him. He grinned and waved back at her.

Lauren looked at the table when she had finished 'Is it too much?' she asked him, he glanced over his shoulder

'No its lovely.' he told her with a smile 'Did you remember to get the wine?'

'Oh no! I knew there was something' she smacked her forehead with her hand

'The one thing I asked you to do and you forget' Joey sighed teasingly 'Honestly Lauren, sometimes I think that I'm the only one who does everything around here'

'You are so funny mister' she said as she walked over to him, she pinched a piece of carrot and popped it into her mouth 'I'll be 15 minutes' she told him and she reached up and gave him a kiss.

'Get red and white' he called as she went out of the door he smiled shaking his head.

Lauren grabbed 2 bottles of white and 2 of red and she put them down on the counter.

'Someone having a party?' Denise asked her

'Just a dinner party with Joey's mum and one of his friends from back home' Lauren said 'Joey's slaving away in the kitchen' she grinned at her

'Oh?'

'Joey's a really good cook..chef…cook?' Lauren frowned confused over which word to use.

'Well I hope you have a nice time' Denise said as she gave Lauren her change.

'Thanks' she said. She picked up the two bags and headed out of the shop and she bumped straight into someone, the bottles clinked in the bag.

'Oh sorry' Lauren said and she looked up she saw Lucy

'Bit early for you isn't it?' Lucy asked her 'I thought Vodka was more your poison?'

Lauren sighed 'You're back then?' she asked her

'You're very observant' Lucy replied and she looked at Lauren 'have you put on weight?' she asked her 'You're what a size 16 now?'

Lauren laughed shaking her head 'I'd would say that I've missed you, that we've all missed you but you know what … we didn't even notice that you'd gone until Poppy mentioned it a month ago' Lauren told her 'I'd say I was glad that you were back, that you've grown as a person, matured. Moved on. But we both know that would be a big lie' Lauren told her and she started to walk away from her

'Say hi to Joey for me' Lucy called after her

Lauren rolled her eyes and headed back to the flat. Once inside she put the bottle of wine on the work top and she glanced out of the window, she saw Lucy watching and she grinned to herself.

'Dinner smells delicious' she told Joey, he smiled at her

'Thank you baby' he rinsed the knife off and put it on the side. He wondered if he had done enough vegetables for everyone.

'I hope you made your famous chocolate mousses for dessert'

'Of course and I made one extra like you asked' he said

'Good' Lauren said 'Make sure you don't get too full from dinner' she told him 'because I thought we could have our dessert in bed later' she said. Joey turned to look at her 'A little fun with chocolate maybe?' Joey gave her his full attention

'I like the sound of that' he nodded smiling at her, she moved closer to him and she slid her hands up over his chest

'I can't wait to lick chocolate mousse off your naked body' she told him and she reached up and kissed him, a long slow sensual kiss 'I'm even more eager for you to lick it off mine' she whispered against his lips, Joey's hands moved over her back and over her ass.

'I think I maybe a little more eager than you babe' he said pressing his erection against her. 'We have 45 minutes tops before our guests arrive' he told her 'How about a little pre-dinner preview?' he asked her

'Baby you read my mind' she told him, he scooped her into his arms headed for the bedroom. Lauren peeked out of the window to see Lucy frowning.

**AN: So what do you think is in the box? **

**And is Lauren naughty for winding Lucy up? **

**As always R&R **

**And thank you for all your reviews…..**

**Back later….**


	110. Chapter 110

The meal was going well. Sarah, Olive and Lauren were having a great time. Joey watched them from the kitchen as he got the mousses ready as they made her laugh with stories from his youth.

Lauren was still on her first glass of wine, Joey and Lauren had had a long discussion during the summer over her binge drinking and she had told him that the smallest thing would make her turn to the bottle. Her parents arguing all the time, the put downs and off-hand remarks her mother would make. When things didn't turn out well for Lauren or when she had discovered her father's affairs… she would turn to drink and she would drink until she was drunk. So she could forget even if it was just for a little while. Lauren had given him back the replacement miniature bottle and told him that she didn't need to carry it around anymore as he had proved to her time and time again that he was there for her. She had apologised profusely for not giving it back to him earlier and then apologised long into the early hours in the bedroom too. Joey smiled as he remembered. They had agreed that Lauren could have a drink when she wanted one but it turned out that she always drank soft drinks. Joey did the same. But tonight, he had persuaded her that a glass of wine with dinner wouldn't hurt her and she agreed. Every time someone tried to top up her glass she refused telling them she was fine with one. Joey was so proud of her and even more in love with her than he thought possible. He thought about the little black box in his pocket and the surprise that he was working on for her.

Lauren looked up at him and saw that he was lost in thought. 'I better go see what's keeping dessert' Lauren told Olivia and Sarah and she got up and she walked into the kitchen, her hands touched his lower back 'hey, you look miles away' she said softly 'Are you okay?'

He turned to look at her 'I was miles away babe' he nodded 'But you were there with me' she smiled at him

'Yeah?' she asked and he stroked her check, and he drew her into his arms and into a kiss. Her lips parted when his tongue traced her bottom lip and he deepened the kiss with a low moan. They broke apart when Sarah cleared her throat loudly.

'If it's okay with you two. Olivia and I would like to have our desserts before we witness something we really shouldn't' she smiled sweetly at the both of them. Lauren and Joey both blushed. 'Lauren you come sit down stop distracting the poor boy'

Lauren grinned and returned to the table.

After dinner had finished Sarah and Olivia insisted on cleaning up, Lauren and Joey were in the lounge talking quietly with their coffees

'Olivia looks so good' Lauren said 'Pregnancy really suits her, she's glowing'

'I know someone else pregnancy would suit' Joey told her softly. Lauren looked at him and she swallowed nervously 'I know I know I'm not pushing' he told her 'It's a big decision. I know we talked about it when we had the scare and we both agreed that it wasn't the right time' he said 'We also said that we'd talk about it again sometime'

'Now isn't the time Joey' she said softly 'You know that I love you and I want forever with you. Babies will come I promise. Just not yet' he nodded hiding his disappointment 'In the meantime….. we can practice making them …. A lot' she said and she kissed him just as Sarah and Olivia came in to the room.

'Do you two need to have a chaperone?' Sarah asked them both laughing

'Yes' Joey and Lauren said together and everyone laughed.

Sarah and Olivia didn't stay at the club long and after making lunch plans with Lauren they both left. Joey insisted on walking them home to make sure they got in okay.

Lauren held the fort by herself until Joey returned half an hour later. The club was busy and Lauren wished she hadn't put the new black high heeled shoes on as her feet were killing her and she was fairly certain she had blisters on both heels.

Joey laughed at something one of the regulars said and he moved onto the next person in line

'What can I get you?' he asked without looking up

'A hello kiss would be nice' he looked up and saw Lucy

'Not on offer' he told her 'What can I get you to drink'

'Tequilla shot please'

Joey gave her the drink '£3.90'

'I thought it would be on the house for old times sake' Lucy reached for the drink but Joey got there before her snatching it away

'£3.90' he replied

Lucy reluctantly paid 'Lauren didn't tell you I was back then'

'You're not actually a topic of conversation between me and Lauren' he replied taking her money, she held out her hand for the change and Joey put it down on the counter, he saw another customer next to Lauren and he moved off to serve them.

A while later Lauren walked up to Joey 'We're out of mixers. I'm going to go down to the cellar get some more'

'I thought you didn't like it in the cellar' he said to her

'It has its appeals' he smiled at him and he knew she was reminding him about the time they had very hot steamy sex in there when he had come back from a trip to see his mother, Lauren couldn't go because she was sitting exams but had insisted that he went so she could spend the time studying without any distractions. But when he returned she had sought him out and showed him just how much she had missed him.

Lauren went into the office and grabbed the keys and went down the stairs to the cellar. She waited for the light to come on once she had unlocked the door before she went inside. She grabbed a punnet of tonic waters and orange juices and turned towards the door. She saw Lucy standing there.

'You're not supposed to be down here. Employees only' Lauren said to her

'I just came down to talk to you' she told her

'I'm not interested in anything that you have to say' Lauren told her as she walked to the door 'Hot air is all that comes out of your mouth Lucy and frankly I'm bored it with it' Lauren pushed Lucy out of the way , switched off the light and locked the door.

'You're gonna be sorry Lauren' Lucy told her

'For what?' Lauren turned to look at her

'For stealing from me'

'You know I think you should go to doctors Lucy. Mental health is clearly an issue with your family' Lauren replied 'Get up the stairs before I call security'

'Once a thief always a thief' Lucy said as she walked up the stairs ahead of Lauren. 'I'd watch your back if I was you' she hissed at her' payback is bitch Lauren and it just so happens that I'm that bitch' and she walked out of the club. Once outside she opened the bag and looked at the bottle of vodka she had stolen.

Lauren walked back behind the bar and she put the mixers on the shelf underneath it. Joey looked up to see her serve another customer

'Have one for yourself' the man said. Lauren poured 2 Tequilla shots and handed one to her customer and drank the other down herself. Joey frowned.

**AN: Clearly the time away from Walford and Joey and Lauren hasn't done anything to dampen Lucy's desire for revenge. **

**Is she going to tell Joey what Lucy said? **

**What happens when it is discovered that a bottle of vodka is missing? **

**Keep reading to find out the answers….. **

**And as always R&R. **

**Back laters…**


	111. Chapter 111

After the club closed. Lauren went into the back office and she sat put the coffee machine on. She thought about what Lucy had said and felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

'Everything all right Lauren?' Lucas asked her as he stepped into the office

She turned and smiled with a nod 'Yeah everything's fine' she told him

'Only I was worried because I saw that blonde girl follow you down the cellar'

'That's Lucy'

'Lucy Beale?' he asked her and she nodded

'Alice has told me all about her' Lucas nodded 'Nasty piece of work if you ask me'

'Yeah, yeah she is' Lauren nodded 'Can you do me a favour?' she asked him

'Yeah of course' Lucas nodded, He had grown pretty fond of Lauren and she was very supportive of his relationship with Alice and seemed to have some kind of influence over Joey who had gradually come round to the idea of Lucas dating his sister.

'Can you tell Sharon what you saw?' she asked her

'Yes of course it's already in my report' he told her

'Thanks' she smiled at him

'I just mentioned it to Joey too' he told her 'Well I'll see you next week' he said with a smile

Lauren made the coffee and she took 2 cups out. Joey had collected all the empty glasses from the tables and he looked up as she came in and handed him a coffee.

'Babe you are a mind reader' he told her and he took a sip 'Mmm perfect' She picked up a tea-towel and started to wipe the glasses before she put them away. 'Lucas told me that Lucy followed you to the cellar' he said

'Yeah she did' she told him

'What did she want?'

'Same old thing. That I stole from her. Once a thief always a thief and that I should watch my back because payback is a bitch and she's the bitch that's going to serve it' Lauren told him

'Is that why you had a shot of Tequllia before?' he asked her

'The guy I was serving had tried to buy me a drink all night. I felt sorry for him so I agreed to have a shot. I wasn't really paying attention to what I was doing' she told him 'I normally pour a shot of Appletise …. I didn't realise I didn't until I swallowed it' she looked up at him 'You know I hate Tequilla' she said

Joey smiled at her 'Yeah I know; he told her. 'Look why don't we get out of here tonight?' he asked her 'We can come back and clean up tomorrow'

'Yeah' she nodded with a smile 'There's some chocolate mousse at home with my name on it' she grinned at him.

Lauren and joey made their way home, as soon as they were inside the first door to the flat, Lauren practically jumped him. He laughed as her eager fingers had undone his shirt and his pants before they'd even made it to the top of the stairs to the door to their flat. She turned pressing herself up against the door, her hand inside Joey's boxers, stroking him firmly. He fumbled with the keys, she used his shoulders as leverage to jump up and wrap her legs around his waist as she attacked his neck with her lips. Joey doubled his efforts to get into the flat, but dropped the keys when he felt himself sinking into her warm depths. She sighed loudly next to his ear,

'Jesus Christ Lauren! Give a guy some warning before you do that' he murmured

'Was my hand stroking your cock not warning enough?' she replied as she started to move, using his shoulders once more as leverage.

He thrust hard with his hips as she sank down onto him again, she cried out with a mix of pleasure and pain. He repeated the motion another 4 times and she screamed as she came around him, coating him with a flood of juices. She clung to him as he withdrew, whimpering slightly and then she dropped back to her feet, Joey picked the keys up and unlocked the flat. He followed her into the bedroom, she removed her knickers and was reaching for the zip on her skirt when Joey grabbed her and bent her forward over the chair and thrust back inside her hard. Her moans and whimpers pushed him over the edge and he came inside her hard and fast, his orgasm triggering hers.

Later they tangled in the sheets, Joey's head nestled on her breast. He saw the love bite, that he'd given her when they had finally made it to the bed, on her left breast

'Sorry' he said softly as he traced it with his fingers 'I've marked you'

'Don't be' she replied 'I kind of like it' she admitted 'When you do it' he looked up at her 'It's like I have a visual reminder that you love me' she said 'until it fades'

Joey smiled at her 'Oh well in that case' he said and he moved his mouth to her neck.

**AN: Well Lauren told him what happened in the Cellar and Lucas saw Lucy follow Lauren. **

**And Joey and Lauren had a little bit of nookie! **

**So hope you are enjoying so far… **

**As always read and review…. Back laters…..**


	112. Chapter 112

Lauren, Olivia and Sarah were half way through their lunch when Lucy walked in. She walked up to the bar and brought herself a drink and then turned to see if there were any seats. She looked at interest at the two women with Lauren. She took a mouthful of her drink and she walked over to the table

'Mind if I join you?' Lucy said

'And you are?' Sarah asked her

'Oh I'm Lucy, Lucy Beale' Sarah looked at her and then at Lauren and then at Olivia. 'You must be Joey's mum' she smiled at her 'Now I can see where Joey gets his good looks from. Joey and I used to date' she held out her hand to Sarah. Sarah looked at it and picked up her drink and took a mouthful

'Lucy.. Lucy..' she pondered the name and then shook her head 'No sorry he's never mentioned you darling' Sarah said 'Now if you don't mind I'm having a private lunch with my son's girlfriend and friend' she told her, Lauren inhaled some of her coke as she tried not to laugh and ended up having a coughing fit at the table as Lucy's face turned a brilliant shade of scarlet before she walked out of the pub.

Olivia patted Lauren's back until she was able to breathe again and Lauren looked at Sarah 'I can't believe you just did that' Lauren said to her

'Why I haven't caused trouble for you have I?'

'No not at all' Lauren told her shaking her head and she licked her lips.

'Joey dated that?' Olivia asked Lauren

'Dated is a loose term' Lauren replied 'occasionally screwed is more apt'

'Why?' Olivia frowned

'She offered it on a plate, Joey said it would have been rude to refuse'

'That boy always thinking with his dick' Olivia said shaking her head 'until you that is' Olivia said quickly 'I mean not that ….okay shutting up now' Olivia said looking around 'I really like this pub' she said. Sarah and Lauren exchanged glances and smiled.

When Joey got home from working at the club in the early hours of Sunday morning he found Lauren asleep on the sofa. She'd been drawing. He smiled locking up the flat before he walked over to her and carefully picked her up, he looked down at her latest piece of art and saw it was another picture of him, he chuckled softly as he carried her through to the bedroom and lay her down on the bed. He started to undress her as carefully as he could so that he didn't wake her. He'd got her down to her underwear and her eyes opened a little,

'Joey?' her voice thick with sleep

'It's me baby. Expecting someone else?'

'Mmm, what time is it?'

'It's late' he murmured softly 'Go back to sleep' he whispered 'Come on get under the covers, I'll be in in a minute' he told her, he watched as she sleepily scurried under the overs and he went into the bathroom. When he returned Lauren was fast asleep. Joey smiled and climbed into bed.

Monday morning Lauren was up early and she left Joey in bed. She grabbed her bag and stopped in the café for a coffee to take away, luckily Lucy wasn't there; she looked at the time and made a dash for the tube.

She had been gone all day, having been at College in the morning a trip to the doctors at lunchtime and then she went to see her granddad Jim in the nursing home. She had been secretly going for months. Nobody knew, not Dot, not her Dad, not even Joey. She wasn't sure why she hadn't told Joey, she supposed it was because she and her granddad had always had a special relationship. He often told her that he was proud of her, she often sought solace at his place when the arguing between her parents got to be too much; but when he was taken ill she wasn't allowed to see him.

'He wouldn't want all the drama Lauren' her mother had told her. When she was allowed to see him it only for five or ten minutes and they were never left alone.

So she kept her visits a secret. And even if he could speak she knew her granddad would too.

She had found the time to text Joey a couple of times throughout the day, and that night he was going on a boys night out with Tyler, Tamwar and Fats and the girls were having a wine and cheese party at Sharon's. She got off the tube at 7:00pm and walked through the square.

'Lauren!' she heard Whitney call from behind her 'I was just on my way to yours. Lucy gave me these' she said holding out her hand

'What she doing with Joey's keys?' Lauren frowned at her

'She said that he left them in the café earlier and that she tried to call out but he ignored her. She gave them to me to give to whoever I saw first' Whitney said 'Which is you'

'Okay thanks' she said 'I'll give them to Joey when I see him'

'See you at Sharon's later yeah?'

'I don't know. I'm really tired and I don't really feel that good and I just..' Lauren started to say

'Oh no please you have to go you can't leave me there by myself'

'You won't be by yourself you know everyone' Lauren said 'I'm not really in the mood Whit'

'Please please please I'll be your best friend please?' Whitney pouted

'You already are my best friend you idiot. All right fine I'll be there. But don't expect me to have fun' she frowned at her

'You and me together we always have fun' Whitney grinned at her

She was on her way to the flat when she saw Tyler 'Ty! Are you meeting Joey?'

'Yeah he's in the Vic, he's lost his keys apparently'

'He left in the café' Lauren told him and she gave them to him 'Can you give them to him please?'

'Sure. Have fun tonight' he said 'and remember no girls allowed in the Vic. It's a boys night out and Joey doesn't need any distractions'

'You're not the boss of me' she replied with a grin.

Once inside the flat Lauren took a quick shower, careful not to get her hair wet, put on a purple flared mini dress and black boots and reapplied her makeup. She picked up her bag and keys, locking the flat she headed towards Sharon's. She got a text from Sharon asking her to call into the Vic to collect some wine from Alfie. She could hear the boys round the other side of the bar and she smiled shaking her head.

'Ah Lauren I've been expecting you' Alfie said 'Sharon called and I believe this is for you' he told he and he put a box on the bar with 6 bottles of wine in it. 'I'll get one of the lads to carry it over for you'

'Are you saying I'm a weak and feeble woman?' Lauren asked him

'No course not darling' he said with a grin 'let me see who I can find' he walked to the end of the bar and called out 'Hey Joseph, your services are needed, beautiful damsel in distress at the bar'

'Can't someone else do it?' Joey complained

'I'll go' Tyler said shaking his head. He got up and walked round to the bar and he saw Lauren. He smiled and let out a whistle 'wow… you are so missing out mate. She's gorgeous'

'Who needs gorgeous when I have beautiful?' Joey replied, Lauren smiled blushing slightly at the compliment, Alfie winked at her, her phone vibrated and she pulled it out of her pocket and saw a text from Whitney

"_**Heads up, Sharon invited Lucy and your mum"**_

'Oh perfect' Lauren sighed and she closed her eyes briefly, she scooped the box off the counter, it was heavier than she thought it was

'Let me get that' Tyler said quickly, he grabbed the box from her, she opened the door to the Vic and they went outside. Lauren took a few deep breaths and Tyler put the box down on the bench outside the Vic. 'What's wrong?' he asked her 'Do you want me to get Joey?'

'No Tyler I'm fine. Whitney just text me to say that Sharon's invited my mum and Lucy tonight that's all. I didn't want to go in the first place and now two people who are not my biggest fans are going to be there and ….' She trailed off and felt her eyes fill with tears she took a deep breath as her emotions suddenly caught up with her.

'Hey… hey.. come on' he said to her 'Why don't you let me take these over to Sharon's and you go in the Vic and talk to Joey hey?'

'I don't want to ruin boy's night' Lauren told him as tears and mascara ran down her cheeks.

'You won't. Besides you can't go to Sharon's like that. You look kind of scary' he told her, she laughed a little and Tyler nudged her 'Come on'

She followed him back inside the pub as the boys erupted into fits of laughter

'See he's having a good time' Lauren said 'He doesn't need to be dealing with a drama queen who has no idea why she's crying' Lauren told him shaking her head 'Just give me a minute and I'll be okay' she said to him. 'Please I don't want to ruin his night'

Tyler sighed and he nodded 'All right. I'll take the wine over to Sharon's I'll tell them you broke your heel and you've gone back to change your shoes, that'll buy you some time' he told her

'Thanks' she said

Tyler left her alone and she pulled her mirror and a tissue out of her bag and she started to clean up her face and makeup. Max and Jack came in and saw her sitting there. 'Lauren sweetheart what's the matter?' Max asked as they went over to her, he put his arm around her and she burst into tears again 'Oh hey shush now, Whatever it is it can't be that bad' he said 'Has Joey done something?' he asked her she shook her head 'Then what is it what's wrong?' Jack crouched down in front of her

'Lauren you can tell us' Jack said 'what's happened? Have you two had a fight'

'Nothing's happened, Joey and I haven't had a fight…he's round the other side of the bar he doesn't even know I'm here' she snapped at them both. He sighed 'Sorry' she said quickly

'Well if nothing's wrong and nothing's happened and you and Joey are okay why are you crying?' Jack asked her

'I don't know' she waved her hands in the air and dissolved into another bout of tears.

'I'll get Joey' Jack said and he got up

'No Jack….' Lauren protested through her tears but he either didn't hear her or he ignored her

'Have you and Lauren had a fight or something?' Jack asked him

Joey frowned and looked up at him 'No. I haven't seen her all day why?'

'Then explain to me why she's round the other side of the bar crying her eyes out, telling me that she doesn't want you to know that she's here?' he frowned at his nephew

Joey was up in a flash, pushing Jack and a few other people out of the way to get to Lauren, he saw her sitting with Max and he didn't like the way Max glared at him when he saw him.

'Baby what's wrong?' Joey asked her, she looked up at him

'I told him not to get you' she said sniffing

'Why?' he frowned at her confused

'Because it's your boy's night out' she said to him 'I'm okay' she told him

'Clearly because you usually cry like this when you are okay' he said 'did something happen at College?' she shook her head 'The doctors?' she shook her head again 'Then what is it?' he asked her.

'The doctors?' Max asked her 'Why did you go to the doctors are you ill? Pregnant? If you've gotten my daughter pregnant!' Max turned beetroot as he glared at Joey

'Oh my god dad no!' Lauren hissed at him 'I am not pregnant' she got up and crossed the pub and disappeared into the women's toilets.

She calmed herself down and wiped her face and eyes and carefully reapplied her makeup. She took a deep breath and she opened the door to the ladies to find Joey waiting outside. She could see the worry and confusion on his face, in his eyes.

'I'm fine Joey I promise' she told him 'I just…it's been an emotional day. All I wanted to do is to go home crawl into bed and wait for you. But instead Whit's persuaded me to go to Sharon's, and I found out that mum and Lucy are going to be there' she told him.

Joey stroked her check gently with his fingers 'Why do I get the feeling that there's more to the story than that?' he asked her

'Because there is' she sighed 'It's nothing bad ….' She licked her lips and she looked down 'I'll tell you when I get home'

'How about I walk you to Sharon's and you give me a short version until later tonight when we can talk about it properly' he asked her

'Because it'll probably set me off crying again' she told him 'But I like the part about walking me to Sharon's' she added softly, Joey smiled

'Just tell me one thing… do I need to be worried?' he asked her

'No' she replied without hesitation.

**AN: Just when you thought Joey knew all Lauren's secrets turns out she has another. **

**Does Max believe that she's not pregnant? Will he want a man to man talk with Joey? **

**How will the evening go at Sharon's? **

**Find out later. **

**PS sorry if this chapter sucks….! Don't give up on me if it does! **

**R&R as always thanks **


	113. Chapter 113

Sharon opened the door with a smile, her smile grew wider when she saw Lauren 'I was beginning to wonder where you had got to' she said

'One girlfriend dropped off' Joey said

'Thank you' Lauren told him

'Anytime' he told her, 'Come here' he took her into arms and gave her a hug 'Are you sure you're okay?' he whispered in her ear.

'Yes, Joey I'm fine' she replied 'Thank you'

'Okay, well then you have fun and you'll text me when you're ready to go and I will come and get you' he told her

'You might not want to go far then' she replied.

Joey pulled back to look at her 'Love you' he said

'Me too' she replied, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and went inside the flat.

He got back to the pub and Tyler looked at him 'Is she okay?'

'I don't know' Joey said honestly 'I know there's something bothering her'

'She told me it was nothing' Tyler said to him 'before she burst into tears. I was going to come and get you but she insisted she was okay.'

'I think she probably would have been until Max asked her if she was pregnant in front of the whole pub' Joey said with a sigh.

Back at Sharon's Whitney was sitting with Lucy, Lauren looked at them and her mother made a beeline for her 'Are you all right?' she asked her softly, taking her to a quiet corner,

'Up until dad just embarrassed me in the pub'

'What did he do?' Tanya sighed

'Asked me if I was pregnant, practically threatened Joey if I was' Lauren said to her 'Joey asked me how I got on at the doctors today and dad …'

'Put 2 and 2 together and got 11' Tanya said and she nodded 'How did you get on?'

'The smear test came back normal' she replied

Tanya smiled at her 'That's good' she said

'Yeah' she nodded 'It is' she replied

'Here you go Lauren' Sharon handed her a large glass of wine

'Erm. Actually do you have orange juice?' Lauren asked her

'Oh yeah of course I'm sorry' Sharon said apologetically and she took the glass back returning with another full of orange juice.

Tanya raised her eyebrows questioningly at Lauren 'I have had about 4 alcoholic drinks since end of February' Lauren told her

'You're not drinking?' Tanya asked her surprised, Lauren shook her head

'Are you sure that you're not pregnant?' Tanya asked her

'Great you think it too now' Lauren frowned 'would it make you happier if I just got drunk?' Lauren asked her and she walked away

'Lauren!' Tanya frowned

'Lauren' Whitney called her over, 'Everything all right?'

'Yeah you know the usual' Lauren sighed

'You not drinking?' Lucy asked her eyeing her orange juice 'Or is there vodka in there'

'It's just orange juice' Lauren replied.

'Are you okay?' Whitney asked her 'You look ….'

'Its just been a long day, I'm tired' she told them both 'Thanks for handing Joey's keys back Luce' she said

'No problem' Lucy said taking a sip of her wine 'No problem at all' she smiled into her wine glass.

'Lucy was telling me about a boy she met in Cornwall' Whitney told Lauren 'He's coming up to visit her in a few days, must be keen hey?'

'Yeah must be' Lauren said deciding that she was going to play nice as long as Lucy was 'What's he like?' she asked her

'Dark hair, brown eyes, pretty fit' Lucy said grinning as she described him 'His name is Jackson'

'Jackson?' Whitney asked her 'It's a pretty weird name'

'He's originally from Canada or Australia' Lucy frowned 'I can't really remember'

'Canadian and Australian accents are completely different Lucy' Lauren said shaking her head with a smile

'Yeah well we didn't really spend that much talking if you know what I mean' she said with a grin and a slight blush.

'I hope we get to meet him' Whitney said

'Oh you will' she said and she smiled at them both 'I've told him all about Walford and everyone here, especially you two. He can't wait to meet you' she looked directly at Lauren

Lauren smiled and took a sip of orange juice. Not sure if she liked the look in Lucy's eyes.

An hour in and Lauren's pone beeped. She pulled it out and smiled seeing it was a text from Joey

"_**Missing you..are you ready to go home yet? Please say yes J xxxx."**_

Lauren text a quick reply

'_**Missing you more and yes L xxxx" **_

A few seconds later and someone knocked on the door, Sharon got up and opened it 'Lauren its for you' she told her

Lauren put her drink down and walked to the door and saw Joey 'That was quick' she smiled at him

'I was outside' Joey said 'Ready?'

'Yes I'll say goodbye' she told him, she gave him her bag and went back inside. 'Sharon, thanks for tonight. I'm really sorry but I have to go, I'm really tired'

'That's okay darling thanks for coming' she said and the two girls hugged 'See you at work tomorrow. Stock take?'

'Yep I'll be there' she smiled at her, she avoided saying good bye to her mother and went back to Lucy and Whitney 'Okay I'm going to head off, I'll see you later?' she asked them both

'I'll walk you back' Lucy said 'Part of the way anyway, I've got the early shift in the café tomorrow' she said 'I'll just say goodbye to Sharon' she told her

Whitney and Lauren exchanged glances 'She's trying, just meet her half way hey?'

Lauren sighed and nodded. 'Right are we ready?' Lucy said. They walked to the door and Lucy blinked in surprise 'Oh. You didn't tell me Joey was here' Lucy frowned

'It's okay, we'll walk you back to yours' Lauren said looking at Joey who nodded

'Sure it's on the way' Joey replied.

Once outside he put his arm around Lauren 'Lucy's been telling us about her new boyfriend' Lauren told Joey 'He's so smitten with her that he's coming to visit'

'Yeah?' Joey asked trying to sound interested 'That's really great Lucy' he said to her

'He's not my boyfriend…. Exactly' Lucy said 'But I'm working on it' she added

'Well I hope we get to meet him?' Joey said

'Oh you will' she replied. They got to Lucy's house and Lucy turned to look at them both. 'Thank you for walking me home'

'No problems' Joey said 'Like I said its on the way to ours'

'I'm really sorry about what I said to you in the club the other night' Lucy told Lauren, 'I was drunk and you know what I'm like when I'm drunk…words randomly come out of my mouth. I see that you and Joey and really happy together and I want us to try to be friends' she told them 'With both of you' she looked at Joey pointedly 'Please?' she asked them

Joey looked at Lauren and then at Lucy 'Friends' Joey said nodding his head

'Thank you' Lucy said with a smile 'Lauren?' she looked at her, Joey nudged her

'Friends' she said somewhat reluctantly. Lucy beamed at her

'Maybe we can go out? A girl's night? You me and Whit, we haven't done that in a long time' Lucy said 'I miss the three of us just hanging out having fun?' she told her

'I'll think about it Lucy' Lauren said 'I'm pretty busy at College and work'

Lucy's face fell a little 'Oh okay well that's fine' Lucy nodded 'I'll see you later' she said and she went inside.

Lauren was quiet on the way back to the flat and once inside. Joey went into the kitchen and made some coffee for them both and Lauren sat down on the sofa. She chewed on her lip, wondering if Lucy was being genuine. She did say that she had another guy on the scene, but the words from the club rolled around in her head. She felt a chill travel down her spine as she remembered.

'**I'd watch your back if I was you. Payback is bitch Lauren and it just so happens that I'm that bitch'**

**AN: So is Lucy being genuine? Is Lauren being unreasonable and irrational when it comes to Lucy? She has a new guy on the scene, so she's clearly over Joey right? **

**Read on to find out. **

**As always R&R**


	114. Chapter 114

Joey sat down beside her as he placed the coffee on the table in front of them

'So…' he said 'Everything went okay at the doctors?'

Lauren sighed 'Yeah the smear test came back clear' Lauren said to him 'I'm fine' she turned on the sofa and pulled her legs up underneath her. 'The doctor wants me to take a break from the pill that I'm taking' she told him 'For a few months at least, he gave me leaflets about other forms of contraceptives' she told him

Joey nodded 'Okay then we'd better stock up on condoms' he said 'When does he want you to stop?

'My pack runs out in two weeks' she told him

'Well then I'll pick some up when I go shopping tomorrow' he told her, he licked his lips 'So college was okay too?'

'Yep' she nodded and she looked at him and she sighed 'Look it's not a big deal okay I just… I go and visit my granddad sometimes' she told him

'Dot's husband?' Joey asked her and she nodded 'No one really talks about him much' he said

'He's had a couple of strokes and Dot was looking after him but the last stroke paralysed him down his left sides and he can't really talk anymore. He's still in there, you can see it in his eyes..' Lauren said softly with a smile 'He has the same sparkle that he used to'

'How long have you been seeing him?' he asked her

'A while, just over a year' she said to him

'Is that where you disappear to every couple of months?' he asked her and she nodded 'Why didn't you tell me?'

'No one knows that I visit him' she said 'I don't know it's just… granddad and I had a really close relationship' she told him 'He was the first person who encouraged me to draw. He brought me sketch pads and charcoals for my birthday one year' she told him 'His fridge was covered with my pictures' she said with a smile 'He used to get me to sign them. Said he could sell them when I became a rich and famous artist. He said the money would see him through his old age'. She got up suddenly and went into the bedroom. He could hear her rummaging and then she came back with a large box. She sat down on the sofa closer to Joey and he put his arm around the back. He watched with interest as she took the lid off the box and he saw a bundle of postcards and letters and quite a few sketch pads and other bits and pieces. She picked out one of the sketch pads and she flicked through the pages until she found what she was looking for and she showed it to Joey

'It this him?' he asked her and she nodded

'Yeah, that's granddad Jim. Your dad's dad' she said

Joey smiled 'He looks nice' he said as he studied the picture

'He was. He could be really mean too though. I don't think he got on well with Derek' Lauren said with a frown 'His face used to turn to thunder at the mention of his name' Lauren frowned 'it used to scare me when he got angry like that'

'I wish I'd known him' Joey said 'I never really had grandparents. Mum fell out with her parents when she married Derek. I only met them once' he stared into the distance 'something else Derek ruined'

'What are these from?' he picked some funfair tickets.

Lauren looked at them and she grinned 'Oh… I was about 10 or 11 I think' Lauren said 'Dad had just decorated the bathroom and I decided that it needed a Lauren Branning original on the wall. So I drew one, with permanent marker pens' she said 'Dad was furious with me. I had the spanking on my life, I think at the end of though he was crying more than I was' she told him 'I packed my school bag with some clothes and my £2.50 life savings and an apple and I ran away from home' Lauren told him. I bumped into Granddad at the bus stop and he looked at my bag and asked me where I was going. I told him that I was running away because Dad had smacked me for drawing on the bathroom wall and I wasn't going to stay there anymore'

'What did he say?' Joey asked 'Did he take you home?'

Lauren shook her head 'Nope. He told me that he'd been told off by Dot and that he was running away too' Lauren said with a grin. 'So we decided to run away together. He took me to the beach… we spent all day together' she smiled as she remembered 'I rode donkeys, we went on the funfair, I ate all the candy floss and doughnuts and hot dogs that I could, drank loads of sugary drinks, had bags of sweets…. We had a really good day' she said to him 'Me and my granddad' she looked at Joey, 'He used to do that thing that you do, when you put my hair behind my ear' she told him.

'This?' Joey asked her and he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear and she smiled and nodded

'Yeah' she said, he could see that she was lost in a memory

'What happened next?' Joey he prompted her

'It got dark and we watched a firework display over the sea.. it was really beautiful' she told him 'I wish that you could have been there…. The colours reflected in the sea were just…amazing, I've never seen anything like it since' she told him 'after the fireworks finished Granddad and I got on the train and we came home. He told me that he should probably go and apologise to Dot because he thinks that maybe it was his fault that she was cross with him. He suggested that maybe I should apologise to dad too, so we went home' Lauren said 'Dad hugged me so tightly told me that he was sorry and that he promised that he would never spank me again. I promised that I wouldn't drawer on the walls anymore and then I told him about my day with granddad' she said to him. Lauren smiled 'Granddad used to be the one that I told all my secrets too' she told him 'When I went to America he was distraught, he and dad argued and yelled about it…. Granddad took me out the day before I left, he paid for me to get my belly button pierced' she told him. She saw surprise cross Joey's face. 'He could be a rule breaker when he wanted to be' she grinned at him

'That's where you get it from hey?' he teased her and she nodded

'Dad said I was just like granddad' she told him 'Stubborn, difficult, selfish, awkward' she licked her lips as she reeled off the list 'We wrote to each other every day when I was in America' she told him 'I have his letter and my postcards in here' she said. 'I didn't tell him what happened in America because it would have broken his heart, disappointed him' she told Joey ''he has a picture of you Alice and Sarah' she told him 'He showed it to me' she told him softly 'I think he only saw you once when you were 3. He's never met Alice. It's pretty worn now, he looks at it a lot I think' Lauren licked her lips 'I told him about us' she said. Joey looked up at her surprised 'I told him that we fell in love and we were happy together. He's okay with us'

I'd like to come next time you go' Joey said softly 'I'd like to meet him'

'He'd like that' Lauren told him 'Maybe Alice too?' she asked him

'Yeah Alice too' Joey nodded 'It won't be too much for him?'

'No the nurse said he doesn't get many visitors and that he grins for days after I've been, and that he's in a better mood. I'll call make arrangements' she said to him with a smile.

'Can I read the letters?' he asked her

Lauren thought for a few minutes and then nodded 'Yes' she replied 'I'm going to go to bed' she told him and she leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss. 'I love you Joey'

'I love you too Lauren' he replied and he watched his girlfriend disappear into the bedroom and then he picked up the first of the letters and started to read.

**AN: Hope you liked this chapter**

**R&R as always **

**Back later **


	115. Chapter 115

A couple of days passed and Lauren and Joey both had a day off and for a change Lauren didn't have to go to college, so they could both spend some much needed quality time together.

Joey knew that Lauren was still worrying about the missing bottle of vodka; that had been discovered when she and Sharon did the stock take. Sharon wasn't overly bothered by it, saying that it had probably been miscounted or not marked off the sheet when it was taken up to the bar, like the mixers Lauren had forgotten to mark off the sheet. Sharon had told her that mistakes happen and nobody was perfect. But Joey could see that Lauren was upset over it. She had since refused to go down to the cellar any more. He knew that she didn't take it. He had told her that he knew that she didn't take it, but somehow Lauren had decided that she should shoulder the blame as it had gone missing when she was the last one in the cellar. She even offered to pay for the bottle out of her wages, which when Lauren got tearful, Sharon reluctantly agreed.

Lauren was still lying in bed when Joey got back at 11:30am from getting the shopping. He packed everything away and then took the last bag into the bedroom and he handed it to Lauren. She looked at him curiously and then sat up and opened the bag. Inside were 4 boxes of condoms with 12 in box.

'I got a few to tide us over for a couple of days' he grinned at her. She put the bag on the bed and she lay back down again.

'I'm not in the mood Joey' she replied

'So this is how we're going to spend the only day off we've had together in months?' he asked her 'You lounging around in bed all day worrying about something that everyone else had forgotten about?' he asked her as he picked the bag up off the bed and put them in his bedside table. 'Come on babe, let's get up do something'

'I am doing something' she replied

Joey sighed and he got onto the bed beside her 'Hey…' he said 'I know that you didn't take the bottle of vodka Lauren' he told her 'Sharon knows you didn't take it. No harm has been done here, no one is upset with you' he said 'I could have miscounted' he told her softly 'Now look come up get up and shower because I want to take you to lunch. You've barely eaten anything for the last couple of days' he said

'I don't want to go out' she said 'I'm fine here'

'You impossible girl' Joey sighed 'Right that's it. Desperate times call for desperate measures' he said he got up and flipped the covers off her and scooped her out of the bed

'Joey!' she complained 'Don't!' he carried her into the shower and turned it on.

'Now you can either get undressed, get into the shower and wash or I'll dump you in it like this' he told her 'Your choice. Either way you're going in'

'Fine I'll get undressed' she frowned. He set her on her feet and she stripped off her sweatpants, knickers, and t-shirt and threw them at him.

'Grumpiest strip tease ever' he smirked 'In the shower …you stink' he told her

'I hate you' Lauren snapped at him as she stepped into the shower. When she came out she had wrapped a towel around herself, another round her hair.

'Feel better?' he asked her

'No' she lied

Joey smiled as he pressed a kiss to her naked shoulder 'Well you smell better' he replied 'Which is a plus so…' she scowled at him 'now be a good little girl and get dressed. I laid some clothes out for you on the bed' he told her 'You've got 15 minutes'

'I don't like these knickers are uncomfortable' she frowned

'Then don't wear them' he replied. Lauren smirked.

Lauren got dressed and put on a little make up. Joey had chosen the purple flair dress for her to wear. She walked into the lounge

'There that didn't hurt did it?' he asked her 'So now you are going to let your very handsome boyfriend buy you lunch in the Vic and you are going to need to eat every single mouthful because you need to keep your strength up'

'Why?' she frowned at him as she followed him out of the flat

'Because after we have eaten, we are coming back here and I plan to shag you senseless' he told her

She smiled behind him 'I love that you are so romantic Joey' she shot back

'I know. I'm the best boyfriend ever' he said grabbing her hand.

She got a table in the Vic while Joey went to order. Lucy and Whitney came in 'Oh hey Lauren' Whitney smiled

'Hey' Lauren replied without smiling back.

'What's wrong?'

'I'm here under duress' she replied 'All I wanted to do was lay on bed all day by myself and be miserable' she said 'but Captain America here won't take no for an answer' she said pointing at Joey 'and dragged me out here so he could buy me lunch'

'Have you two had a fight?' Lucy asked sounding a little too eager

'No' Lauren said

'Then what's wrong?' Whitney and Lucy sat down

Joey came back to the table and saw the two girls had joined them Lauren shrugged and Joey sighed 'A bottle of vodka went missing from the cellar a couple of days ago and Lauren was the last one down there and she's taking the blame even though no one actually blames her' Joey said pointedly at Lauren 'Gone is the fun, loving girlfriend that I once knew' Joey said 'And in her place is this'

'Any chance you had of having any kind of sex with me has just moved from remote to none' Lauren told him frostily

'If no one blames you why are you so worried about it?' Whitney asked her

'Because it's my job. Sharon trusts me and I feel like I've let her down. She's never going to really trust me again'

'That's ridiculous' Joey rolled his eyes 'of course she trusts you' Joey said 'just like I trust you. Why would you steal a bottle of vodka hey? You haven't had a drink in 6 months. And it's not like you haven't got the money to buy a bottle if you wanted one' he told her

'You've stopped drinking?' Lucy asked her and Lauren looked at her and nodded

'Yes' she said

Inside Lucy grew angry, but on the outside she smiled 'Good for you. Who knew Joey would be a good influence on you' she said 'I'm really proud of you Lauren' Lucy said and she reached across the table and squeezed Lauren's hand.

'Thanks Luce' Lauren half smiled at her

'Not so proud of myself though' she said 'If I knew that you were worrying about the missing bottle so much I would've owned up earlier. I took it' she said

'What?' Lauren sat up straight and blinked at her

'When I followed you into the cellar. I took the bottle' she said 'I … I wanted to get you into trouble'

'Lucy!' Whitney exclaimed

'I know I know it was terrible thing to do and I'm really sorry' she said to Lauren and then she looked at Joey. 'I'll go to Sharon and I'll give her the bottle back and I'll apologise and I'll tell her that it was me' she said

'That's the least you can do' Whitney frowned at her 'I thought you were going to be friends with Lauren not do this to her'

'I know I am …. I really do want to put our differences behind us' she said 'Please can you forgive me?' she asked

Joey looked at her and then at Lauren 'You know what Lucy I don't think we can' he told her 'Friends don't treat friends that way.' he shook his head 'Lauren and I …we don't need friends like you' he said. 'Now if you don't mind. I want to have lunch with my girlfriend … alone' he told them both

'Yeah, I'll call you later Lauren' Whitney told her and he grabbed Lucy's arm and dragged her away.

Joey looked at Lauren 'See. Lucy took it' he said to her 'So you can stop worrying now okay?' he asked her

She looked up at him and she nodded 'I guess'

'And she's not going to bother us anymore' he told her 'You and me forever' he told her and he picked up her hand and kissed it softly.

'Okay your chances of sex have gone back up to remote' she said softly. Joey smiled. The food was placed on the table 'Oh and I did what you suggested about my knickers' she told him quietly

'And what was that?' he asked as he picked up his beer and took a drink.

Lauren leant across and whispered in his ear 'I'm not wearing any'

Joey spat his beer across the table and turned to look at Lauren who took a big mouthful of lasagne.

**AN: Thank you for reading, and reviewing.**

**Lucy's plans have taken a little hit but you all know that she's gonna be back … you just don't know when! **

**Oh and a little warning for the next chapter. Joey and Lauren get their kink on! Introducing for a one time guest appearance only, Bob! **

**Back tomorrow…. Unless you really really can't wait! Let me know… **


	116. Chapter 116

**AN: Okay okay so you persuaded me that you wanted another chapter tonight.**

**WARNING: JOEY AND LAUREN GET THEIR KINK ON! **

**Especially for Emily who is going on holiday tomorrow. Couldn't leave you hanging. Enjoy and please review. **

Joey ate his lunch in record time eager to go back to the flat. Lauren, however, had other ideas, she ate as slowly as she could, savouring every bite, then when she had cleared her plate she had gone to the bar and ordered dessert.

Joey thought he was going to spontaneously combust on the spot.

'Babe you're killing me here' he complained

'Like you said I haven't really eaten in days' she said to him 'and I suddenly appear to have got my appetite back' she said her double meaning was clear 'and raspberry crumble and custard is one of my favourites' she told him, she got up 'I have to go the bathroom' she told him. He watched her walk away, her dessert was delivered whilst she was gone and he seriously contemplated eating it himself so he could get her out of the pub and naked in the flat quicker, but he knew Lauren would only order another one and be even slower eating it. She returned and sat down with a smile 'you know it's actually quite liberating not wearing underwear' she told him 'I might do it more often'

Joey's groin tightened 'Can you please hurry up and eat that' he hissed at her growing more impatient and uncomfortable by the second.

'Patience Joey. You don't want me to get indigestion do you' she asked him with a smile. She ate her dessert slowly and when she offered Joey some and he ate it

'Mm that is good' he said 'Maybe I'll get a dish of my own' he said

Lauren knew what he was playing at and she smiled 'If you want to. I could use another drink too' she said pushing her glass towards him.

Knowing his plan had back fired he walked to the bar, pleased that he'd chosen to wear a button up shirt that hung over the front of his jeans. He brought them both a coke with no ice and took them back to the tables.

Lauren shifted closer to him pressing her thigh against his 'You didn't get some?'

'They … um … sold out' Joey lied as another dish was given to Whitney.

'Is that right?'

'Yeah Whit must've got the last one' he said.

Whitney sighed 'Lucy will you stop staring at them'

'I'm not. Look at them rubbing it in my face' she said as Lauren spoon fed Joey some more dessert.

'They're not rubbing it in your face Lucy that's just how they are' Whitney said 'Look, Lauren forgave you when you _actually_ stole her boyfriend and slept with him whilst they were still together. You and Joey were split up, over, long before anything happened between him and Lauren' Whitney told her 'If anyone has the right to be pissed off its Lauren' she said 'so please Lucy just accept that Joey and Lauren are together okay?'

'You heard what they said. We're not friends anymore' Lucy said to her

'Like you didn't deserve that' Whit replied' maybe if you start acting like a friend you may get them back'

Lauren took her time making sure that she had got every single bit of custard from her dish.

'Seriously?' Joey asked her a little frustrated as he shifted in his seat 'you keep licking that spoon like that and I'm gonna fuck you right here on the table in the pub' he told her as Max walked in with Tanya, followed by Alice 'and I am sure that your parents and my sister would love to have a front row seat for that'

Lauren smiled and scraped her spoon around her bowl once more. Alice and Tanya made a beeline for their table and Joey groaned, shifting again in his seat as he watched Lauren's tongue lick the spoon.

'Are you okay Joey?' Alice asked as she sat down with Tanya, Lauren put her spoon down in her dish and picked up her drink 'You look you're in pain'

Lauren glass was at her lips 'Joey's a little stiff …..' she took a mouthful of coke and swallowed it 'From his run this morning' Lauren replied straight faced. She could feel Joey's gaze on her and could only imagine what was flashing in his eyes, she lowered her gaze and saw his hands gripping the edge of the seat; his knuckles were white. She took pity on him 'Are you ready to go babe?' she asked him

'In a second' he replied and he cleared his throat.

'Oh Lauren I got something for you' Tanya said 'I know it's not the done thing now for your mother to buy you clothes and stuff but I saw these and I thought you might like them' she said and she pulled out a bag and handed it to her. Lauren opened the bag and peered inside.

Lauren smiled as she saw what was inside 'Thanks mum. A girl can never have enough knickers' she said biting her lip to stop herself from smiling. Joey groaned beside as he again shifted in his seat.

'Oh Joey… are you in a lot of pain?' Alice asked him in concern

'You have no idea' Joey said quietly.

'Well I better take this one home' Lauren said and she eased herself out of the seat and looked at Joey. 'Get him dosed up with some more painkillers and tucked up in bed with a hot water bottle' she said 'I told him coming out wasn't a good idea but he wouldn't listen'

Joey gave her a look that told her she was in big trouble. 'He got up gingerly and carefully moved out from behind the table. She slid her arm around his waist as he put his arm around her shoulders

'Feel better soon Joey' Alice called after them.

'I'm sorry' Lauren whispered as they walked towards the door

'Oh yes you will be' he replied

'Aw look he's limping, he must have really hurt himself' Alice frowned

Once outside they walked a little distance and Joey groaned in pain 'Stop a minute' he said he closed his eyes and Lauren watched as he slowly and carefully undid the zip on his jeans, a small sigh of relief passed through his lips.

'I love you' Lauren said and he looked at her and she grinned at him

'That's not going to work right now babe' he told her 'When I said you were going to be sorry, I meant it' his eyes flashed darkly

'You have to catch me first!' she told him and she ran off towards the flat

'Oh you'd better run' he called after her. He took a couple of steps and then stopped 'Ouch!'

Lauren beat Joey home by 10 minutes. As soon as he made it into the house he undid his jeans completely and eased them down carefully. Leaning on the door frame he took his shoes off followed by his jeans and he made his way into the bedroom. Lauren wasn't there.

'Lauren?' he called out

'Bathroom' she replied 'Be out in a tick'

He lay down on the bed, disposing of his shirt. He heard the bathroom door open and Lauren came out still fully clothed. She looked at him and grinned 'You made it back then?' she asked him her eyes sparkling.

'Yes no thanks to you' he replied, Lauren knelt on the bed and he frowned at her 'What's behind your back?'

'Mmm? Oh nothing' she said. She looked down at his very prominent bulge and licked her lips 'Wow someone's pleased to see me' she grinned at him, Joey laughed shaking his head 'can I do anything?'

'I think you've done enough' he told her, Lauren moved further up on the bed and she carefully straddled him but didn't touch his erection. Joey's hands clasped her thighs and he slid them up under her skirt to find her naked beneath. His hands cupped her bottom and then he slid one finger along her folds, she was wet, but not wet enough, he brushed his fingers over her clit and she shuddered. 'What is behind your back?' he asked her again

'BOB' she said and she produced her vibrator. Joey looked at it and then at her

'And what exactly is BOB doing out here?'

'Well I wasn't sure that you would be fit for the job' she teased him

'Is that right?' he asked her 'Show me' he said. Lauren blinked in surprise

'What? No' she blushed 'BOB's shy'

Joey laughed, 'BOB is or are you?' he asked her. 'Please babe I want to watch'

'I'm not wet enough for BOB' she shook her head

'Take off your dress' he instructed her, Lauren did what he asked and he was stunned to see that all she was wearing was the dress 'You went out without ANY underwear on?' he asked her

'Yep' she said 'you didn't pick out a bra so…' she trailed off, Joey shook his head, he moved his hands back to her bottom and he urged her forward until she was over his face. Lauren gasped as she felt his tongue sliding across her skin, before it slipped inside her. He pulled her down hard against his tongue as he fucked her with it and within minutes of him first touching her she had her first very loud orgasm, soaking him in her juices. She moved off him lay down on the bed, her eyes screwed tightly shut. BOB laying between them forgotten.

'I think you might be wet enough now' he said huskily, she opened her eyes to look at him. He had removed his boxers and was now naked and facing her and very very aroused.

Lauren looked at him 'You really want me to use BOB?' she asked him

'Yes' he replied, Lauren closed her eyes briefly and then looked at him.

'Okay' she said. Joey watched as she turned the vibrator on and put it on the lowest setting, she moved it between her legs and pressed it against her clit, she closed her eyes, feeling too embarrassed to see Joey watching her. Joey's hands moved to his cock and he began to stroke firmly and quickly as he watched his girlfriend work herself to another orgasm without even putting the vibrator inside her, he came over her stomach with a guttural cry. When she had recovered she turned the vibrator off and looked at him 'Happy now?' she asked him

'Nope' Joey said, his orgasm satisfied. Now he was in the mood to play. He picked the vibrator up and gave it a closer look 'It's not as big as I thought it would be' he said. He turned it on and went through the 3 settings. Slow, medium and fast. He looked at her and he raised his eyebrows at her. He turned it down to the slow setting and he moved over her and pressed a kiss to her lips 'Do you trust me?'

'Yes' she whispered, he kissed her again and then bent his head to her breast as he penetrated her with the vibrator. He listened to her breathy whimpers and moans, he turned the setting up to 2, and she jumped a little. 'Ah!

'Sorry. Should have warned you' Joey murmured, he moved his mouth to hers, he kissed her deeply as he moved the vibrator in and out of her, she mewled into his mouth and he broke the kiss, her breathing was quicker, he sucked on her neck and moved his lips to her ear 'Three' he whispered and he flicked the switch again. She jumped again feeling the orgasm that was slowly and luxuriously building, now approaching like a freight train.

'No Joey…. Too much … too fast…. oh god….. please….. please … stop' she begged him.

Knowing that he should be a considerate boyfriend and do what his girlfriend asked he couldn't help but think back to the teasing that had occurred in the pub and his wicked side won.

'I told you, you would be sorry' he whispered in her ear.

'Joey…. Please…..' she screamed and her body tensed and stiffened as the freight train ran over her, dropped its cargo of gasoline on her and set her on fire. She screamed and screamed and Joey didn't stop, tears rolled down her cheeks, it was only when her body relaxed unable to fight against the feelings that were coursing through it that he took pity on her and he withdrew the vibrator and turned it off. He kissed her tears away, and caressed her trembling body, 'th.. thank you for stopping' she said softly. Joey grinned at her as he moved over her and pressed his cock against her opening,

'Lover, I'm nowhere near finished with you' he told her as he thrust inside her. She cried out his name as her over sensitised body was pushed even further.

Much later they lay in each other's arms, sated, tired and both a little sore, 'Thank you' Lauren said

'For what?' Joey asked her

'Shagging me senseless and then some' she replied

Joey smiled 'Anytime baby' he told her and she reached up and kissed him, intending for the kiss to be brief but both deepening it, she broke the kiss when she felt his groin stirring.

'No Joey!' she whispered almost pleading with him

'What can I say a man has needs' he grinned at her drawing her lips back to his.

**AN: Laters! **


	117. Chapter 117

The next night Alice went over to Lauren's and they ordered Chinese takeaway and watched a film.

'Aren't you working tonight?' Alice asked her

'Nope Sharon and Joey are' Lauren replied 'But Joey only until 10pm. Tuesday's are slow. So he will be back soon. Which means you can give me the lowdown on Lucas'

What lowdown on Lucas?' Alice asked her playing innocent

'Oh come on! You know exactly what I'm talking about. Sex!'

'Lauren!' she frowned at her.

'Oh come Alice please don't tell me that you still haven't…'

'I am not talking about my sex life with you'

'Or lackthereof' Lauren said and she looked at Alice 'you know when it's the right time' Lauren told her 'And it will be amazing I promise' she said 'And then you and Lucas will be having sex all the time, like me and Joey' she grinned

'Ew! Lauren' Alice exclaimed 'I do not want to know about my brothers sex life thank you very much'

'He's a very considerate lover' Lauren continued to tease her with a giggle

'Stop it!' Alice squealed

'And very well endowed, if you know what I mean and boy does he know how to use it'

'Lauren Branning!' Alice squealed and she covered her ears, both girls were laughing so hard they didn't hear Joey come in

'What's going on here?' he asked then in amusement

'Just torturing the sibling' Lauren told him with a grin she leapt off the sofa and threw herself into his arms and kissed him 'Hey baby good day at work?'

'Yes' He nodded and he looked at Alice and he laughed 'What is she doing

'Covering her ears so she doesn't hear any more of the S.E.X talk' Lauren said

'I'm not a child I know how to spell!' Alice replied launching a cushion across the room at Lauren, she caught it and lobbed it back hitting Alice in the face, causing both girls to laugh harder.

'Why are we talking about sex anyway?' Joey asked as he disappeared into the kitchen to get a drink. 'Are you having sex with Lucas?' he demanded from the door way

'No!' Alice exclaimed

'Me either' Lauren added with a grin. Joey couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend, knowing that she was trying to rein him in 'But Alice wants to'

'LAUREN!' Alice went bright red and covered her face with the cushion.

'See a girl having sex doesn't go that colour' she told Joey shaking her head

'You did last night when we played with BOB' Joey pointed out causing Lauren to blush and Alice to peek out from behind her cushion.

'BOB?' she asked

'Battery Operated Boyfriend' Lauren whispered.

Alice looked at Joey and then at Lauren open mouthed 'You use sex toys?' she asked them

'I thought we weren't talking about this' Lauren teased her again

'You brought it up' Alice replied

'No actually Joey did' Lauren said and she looked her at boyfriend 'Care to jump in here lover?' she asked her

'Please don't call him that' Alice said with a blush as Joey came and sat down next to Lauren.

'Why? That's what he is' Lauren told her 'Look Alice, Sex is as scary or as amazing as you want it to be' she told her 'You will know when you are ready to take that step with Lucas. But you have to tell him that you've never had sex before' she told him

'He'll think I'm a freak' Alice said

'No. He'll think that you are a nice sensible girl who didn't have sex when all her friends started to' Lauren told her 'and I wish that I had waited until I was at least ready for the consequences of a sexual relationship'.

'How did this conversation come about?' Joey asked them

'We just watched Magic Mike' Lauren told him

'Oh, I see' he said 'So it was Blow job, Fuck or make love question?'

'Joey!' Alice blinked at him

Lauren giggled again 'You are so naïve and easily shocked Alice'

'I am not' she protested.

'Yes you are' Lauren said nodding her head

'What if I don't like it? Sex I mean?' she asked

'Then it's not with the right person' Lauren told her softly 'I didn't really enjoy sex before Joey'

'Why?' Alice asked her

'Because I would be drunk, and half the time it would be with some random guy that I met that night' she replied 'After Lucy stole my boyfriend, after he cheated on me, I didn't want to get hurt again, so I went down the casual sex route and ended up hurting myself more' she told her

'Why was it different with Joey?' Alice asked her

'Did you forget about the part where I said he was well endowed?' Lauren grinned at her and Alice grimaced and blushed. 'Sex with Joey was different because I loved him' Lauren said 'we took the time to get know each other, to know what the other person liked before we actually had sex' Lauren told her 'you have no idea the things we did on your sofa!' Lauren added with a grin. Alice's moth fell open 'on the kitchen table…. In the hallway by the front door…'

'On the stairs' Joey added

'Yes all right thank you Lauren' Alice said 'I get it you to were at it like bunnies'

'No not until we went to Brighton' Lauren told her shaking her head. 'I have to go to the bathroom' Lauren said and she got up.

Alice looked at Joey. 'What if he doesn't want to have sex with me?' she asked him

Joey sighed 'Of course he does, look at you, your beautiful' he told her 'anyone who doesn't want to have sex with you is mad. Or in my case your brother'

'Do you… do you and Lauren have sex a lot?'

'We have a healthy sex life if that's what you're asking' Joey nodded.

Lauren came back and sat down leaning against Joey 'What did I miss?' she asked

'I just asked Joey if you had sex a lot?' Alice said

'We have a healthy sex life' Lauren replied

'That's what Joey said' Alice said with a smile 'Honestly you two are so in tune with each other' she said

'Yeah we are' Lauren turned to Joey and they kissed softly and they held hands.

'I love her' Joe shrugged 'I know her better than anyone and she does me' Joey told his sister 'She's the one for me'

'So you can see you and Lauren getting married having children?' she asked him

'Yes' Joey said simply

'What about you Lauren?' Alice asked her

Behind her Alice could see Joey roll his eyes shake his head and grin as he if knew what Lauren was going to say 'Nah. I'm just in it for the sex!' Lauren grinned and then laughed

'I knew you were going to say that' Joey told her shaking his head 'You are so predictable babe' he told her.

Alice smiled.

**AN: Dedicated to Crazychick. From tears to laughter (I hope) **

**Back tomorrow **


	118. Chapter 118

Saturday lunchtime Lauren was sitting in the pub reading through some papers, she had a note pad and pencil out and was alternating between making notes and chewing on the end of the pencil. Joey came in with Tyler and Tyler spotted Lauren and nudged Joey.

'I thought you were too busy to meet me for lunch' Joey said to her

'I am. I'm working' she replied but she raised her face for a kiss, he smiled and kissed her softly,

'On what?' he asked her

'The Christmas party leaflets for the club and a pros and cons list for the birth control the doctor wants me to try'

'I thought we were going to talk about that together' Joey said as he picked up her list.

He smiled at the first one. She had drawn up a list of the types of birth control had a pros and con's column next to each. The first one was the patch and the con was "it's a patch", there were no pros.

'Yeah we are I just want to get a little idea in my mind about what I do and don't want to take or wear or insert' she grimaced

'We can always rely on condoms' Joey said

'Yes we could if we could actually rely on you putting them on.' Lauren reminded him 'We are meant to be using them in the two weeks up to me coming off the pill and we've used them how many times?' she asked him

Joey thought for a moment and then sighed 'None' he replied

'Thank you. My point exactly' she told him

'Would be a bad thing if we did get pregnant?' he asked her

Lauren sighed as Tyler came over with the drinks 'Joey….'

'I know. I know, wrong place to talk about it' he said 'Sorry' he sighed 'Do you want us to sit somewhere else?' he asked her

'No' she looked at him shaking her head. She put down her pencil and gathered her papers together and put them in her bag 'I could use a break with my two favourite men' she smiled at them both.

'So it's your birthday coming up soon' Tyler said to her 'Any plans?' he asked her

'No' she shook her head 'I just want to have a quiet birthday thank you' she told him 'No party, no fuss, no drama, no excitement, no gifts, nothing' she told him 'and you can tell Whitney that too so she can stop planning' she told him firmly 'After last year I just want the day to pass uncelebrated'

'Got it' Tyler nodded and he looked at Joey.

'Oh I bumped into Alice earlier and she said she would meet us at the train station tomorrow morning at 10am' Lauren told Joey.

'Okay' he nodded.

'So where are you off to tomorrow?' Tyler asked

'If we told you we'd have to kill you' Joey deadpanned

'Oh right good' Tyler nodded 'Well you two are a barrel of laughs today aren't you'

'I didn't sleep well' Lauren told him

'Lauren thinks that she heard someone in the flat last night' Joey told him 'which was impossible because we are the only ones with a key'

'Maybe you were dreaming?' Tyler asked her 'You do have some pretty weird dreams' he said to her

'Maybe' Lauren said and she rubbed her eyebrow.

'Uh-oh' Tyler said 'Incoming'

'Lauren Joey, there you are' Lucy said,

'Oh god' Lauren muttered under her breath

'What do you want Lucy?' Lauren looked up at her

'I wanted to introduce you to Jackson my friend from Cornwall' she said to him 'He'll be staying a while and I thought it would be nice to introduce him to all my friends' she said 'Jackson this is Joey Branning, Lauren Branning and Tyler Moon'

'You're both Brannings?' he asked 'you two brother and sister?' he asked Joey. Lauren saw Joey's jaw twitch

'You know when Lucy told us about you she told us that she had told you all about everyone back in Walford' Lauren said 'And you know full well Joey isn't my brother am I right?' Lauren asked him. Jackson glanced at Lucy and then back at Lauren and nodded 'So you are either really stupid to risk getting punched in the face by my boyfriend or you're playing along with Lucy's little game' Lauren said and she looked at Lucy. 'I am getting really tired of this Lucy, It's getting old' Lauren sighed

'I don't know what you're talking about Lauren' Lucy said shaking her head 'I just came here to introduce you to my friend'

'Yeah really?' Lauren asked her 'Well you know what I'm really not interested in meeting any new friends of your' she said and she looked at Jackson 'No offence but I am sure that you are a really great guy and all. But if I were you I'd watch your back because you never know when she's going to stab you in it. Isn't that right Lucy?' Lauren said. She picked up her bag and stood up 'I'll see you at home' she told Joey and she gave him a quick kiss and walked out of the pub.

Joey sighed 'I'd better' he gestured after Lauren. Tyler nodded

'Yeah I'd better go find Whitney' Tyler said and they both got up and left. Joey caught up with Lauren.

'I'm sorry I just… I couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore' she told him 'I'm sick of the snide comments, the death stares from across the room'

'Its okay. To be honest I'm surprised you haven't said anything sooner' he told her

'She's lucky she didn't get punched in the face' Lauren replied as they went into the flat.

Lauren put her bag down by the door and walked to the sofa and sat down. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly 'Brother and sister!' she scoffed

'We could have been married for all he knew' Joey said. Lauren smiled

'Yeah we could have been' she replied, she rubbed her eyebrow again.

'Come on lets have an afternoon nap' he told her

'Here or in the bedroom?'

'Bedroom' Joey replied. He watched as she got up and double checked the door was locked before following him into the bedroom.

**AN: Joey brought up babies again….. Lauren shot him down again. **

**Will Lauren's birthday pass by without any kind of celebration?**

**Back later…**


	119. Chapter 119

Joey, Alice and Lauren walked into the nursing home and signed in at the front desk. 'Hello again Lauren, he's looking forward to this visit' Dan the desk clerk told her

'Me too' Lauren replied 'How is he today?'

'Much better, had a good night's sleep, had a big breakfast' Dan replied 'He's been showing your photograph to every nurse that's been in his room today'

Lauren smiled 'Can we all go in together?'

'Yep, but not too long okay?' he asked her

'Got it' Lauren led Joey and Alice to the room and she peered through the door. She knocked gently and then opened it and they went inside.

Joey saw the old man's eyes wander over the 3 of them and then brighten when they settled on Lauren.

'Hi gramps' Lauren said as she crossed over the room and gave him a kiss on the check 'I brought some more visitors if that's okay?' she asked him, he nodded. 'These are Derek's children' Jim rolled his eyes and prodded his forehead with a shaky finger. Joey smiled, even he understood what that meant

'He knows who we are babe' Joey said. Alice stepped forward and she smiled, Lauren moved to the side

'Hi I'm Alice. It's very nice to meet you granddad' she said to him, she kissed his cheek, she was rewarded with a smile and a nod.

Joey stepped forward 'Hi I'm Joey' he told him. Jim looked at him and then at Lauren, before his eyes settled on Joey again. 'It's been a while' he said, Jim nodded and he reached for his picture and he held it out to Joey, Joey took it and looked at it, he smiled and nodded. 'Yeah I remember this. Did you take it?' Jim nodded. 'I remember' Joey said again. Lauren smiled and she sat down on the edge of the bed and she took Jim's hand and squeezed gently.

The three of them stayed for 30 minutes and Jim yawned 'That is granddads way of telling us that he's bored of us now' Lauren said smiling 'We'll come back and see you soon okay?' Lauren told him she gave him a hug and a kiss. Alice did the same and Joey looked at her

'I'll be out in a second' he said to her

Lauren nodded and she left with Alice. After 5 minutes Joey came out. Are you both ready?' he asked them

'Yes' Alice said 'What did you stay behind for?'

'That's between me and Granddad' he told her with a smile.

**AN: Small chapter. Next chapter… Time jump time again! **


	120. Chapter 120

Lauren, Joey and Alice walked into the Vic after they had come back from the nursing home. Lucas was waiting for Alice and she grinned at him.

Lauren smiled and she nudged Joey who turned round in time to see Lucas kissing his sister.

'Why did you make me watch that?' Joey grumbled at Lauren as they brought their drinks and took them to a nearby table.

'She's happy Joey, I mean look at her. Look at him' She said

'I am looking and all I can see is his hands all over my sister!' he said 'And now he's grabbing her arse in front of everyone'

Lauren shook her head 'What happened to the Joey that was at the flat the other night when we were talking about sex with Alice?' she asked him

'Talking about sex and watching my sister being man handled ate two entirely different things' he replied

'What am I going to do with you hey?' Lauren asked him, he turned to look at her

'I could think of quite a few things' he said

'And why is it okay for you to have sex but not your sister?'

'Because it just is' he told her 'It's different. My first instinct is to protect her, shelter her. I don't want her corrupted by the evils of sex' he took a sip of his coke. 'Why can't she just stay single?'

'Okay' Lauren said and she frowned at him 'so what about me?'

Joey looked at her and frowned 'What?'

'It's okay for me to be corrupted by the evils of sex as you put it?' she asked him

'Well yeah because I'm one doing the corrupting' Joey grinned at her

'All right. What if you weren't?' she asked him 'What if you and I weren't together and I was with …. That guy' she pointed out a good looking guy talking with Alfie at the bar. 'Would you want me to be corrupted by him?' she asked him

Joey looked at the man and then at Lauren 'Well no' he said 'I'd want to protect you from getting hurt' he said 'But at the end of the day you are a grown woman and you make your own choices. All I could do was be there if you needed me' he said and then he frowned 'Will you stop checking him out'

Lauren looked at Joey 'I wasn't checking him out and I think you've just answered your question about Alice. She's a grown woman too' she told him

Joey sighed 'I hate when you do that' he told her

'Do what?' she asked him innocently

'Talk sense' he said. Lauren grinned at him and she picked up her drink and glanced at the guy at the bar again.

'Hey! I saw that' Joey frowned

Lauren looked at him and grinned 'I was just wondering where he got those jeans from, they'd look good on you' she told him. She shifted in her seat so she wasn't distracted by the guy at the bar 'So what did you talk to granddad about?' she asked him

''That's between me and him' he replied

'I thought we didn't have secrets' she replied

'You'll find out soon enough' he replied

'I bet I could get it out of you' she said to him 'We could play with BOB again'

'I don't think so' Joey told her shaking her head, 'As hot as that was babe, and it was really really hot, the only phallus shaped object that is ever going to be inside you again is me' he told her seriously. Lauren smiled shaking her head

'Jealous of a piece of plastic' she said. She got up and went to the bathroom. Joey watched her leave and saw the guy at the bar give her the once over as she walked passed him. When she came back he saw them exchange a smile.

'What was that?' he asked her

'What was what?' she frowned confused

'You and that guy. Do you know him?'

'No. I don't think so why?'

'You just smiled at him'

'He smiled at me and I smiled back. It's what people do' she took a drink and glanced at the bar as the guy finished talking with Alfie and picked up his drink and he turned to find a table. He looked at Joey and then at Lauren and he smiled again. Lauren smiled back. He found a table near to the Juke box and sat down.

'You just did it again' Joey said

'What smiled at him? Yeah because he caught me staring' Lauren told him shaking her head

'Do you fancy him?' Joey asked her

'Joey. I've literally just laid eyes on him. I've never seen him before in my life' she told him 'and no I don't fancy him. I fancy you'

'Hello' Alice said as she and Lucas sat down. 'What's wrong with your face?' she frowned at Joey

Lauren squeezed Joey's thigh and she moved forward and kissed his cheek 'You get me hot' she whispered in his ear 'No one else'

'Make sure it stays that way' he replied.

Lauren sighed and she picked up her drink and started to talk to Alice and Lucas. Joey watched the other guy at the table and saw him looking at Lauren every so often.

After half an hour, Joey finished his drink 'Right I'm going to the bathroom, then are you ready to go babe?' he asked her

'Yes' she nodded. She moved to let him out of the table and sat down again. She looked at Alice and smiled as Lucas kissed her.

'Lauren? Lauren Branning?' she heard someone ask her, she looked up to see the guy at the bar standing next to her and she nodded

'Yes'

'I thought it was you. Wow you've changed a lot' he said as he gave her an appraising glance 'You probably don't remember me'

Lauren looked at him and she thought, now that he was up close, that he looked familiar 'Nick?' she said 'Nick Stephens?' she asked him with a smile, he nodded 'Oh my god I haven't seen you in years' she exclaimed and she got up and they hugged briefly just as Joey came back from the bathroom. The smile on his face faded as he saw them. 'What you are doing in Walford?'

'Just a bit of business' he said 'I work for an investment company in the centre of London' he told her

Alice cleared her throat 'Oh I'm sorry, this is my cousin Alice and her boyfriend Lucas' Lauren introduced them 'This Nick we went to school together' she told them

'I had a huge crush on her when we were 14?' he asked Lauren and she nodded 'She knew of course but wouldn't give me the time of day'

Lauren blushed as Joey came over to them, he grabbed Lauren's hand 'Are you ready babe?' he asked her

'Oh Joey…this is Nick Stephen's. We went to school together until we were 15. His parents moved to Berkshire?' she asked and Nick nodded

'Good memory' he smiled at her

Nick this is Joey, Joey's my boyfriend' Lauren told him

'Nice to meet you' Nick said and he held out his hand, Joey shook it

'Yeah you too' Joey replied

'Well we've got to go' Lauren told him 'Are you sticking around for a while?' she asked him 'It would be really good to catch up, do you still see Nat and Paul?'

'Yeah sometimes' he nodded

What about Claire?'

'Claire and I broke up, pretty messy actually' he said. He reached into his pocket and he pulled out a card. 'Maybe we could catch up sometime, have a few drinks?' he asked her. My personal mobile is on the back' he handed it to her

'Yeah I'd like that' Lauren nodded and she took the card and looked at it. 'I'll see you around' she said as she felt Joey tugging on her hand.

'I hope so' Nick said as he watched them leave.

Joey was quiet on the way back to the flat. 'I thought you said you didn't know him' he said once they were inside

'I didn't know that I did' she said as she walked into the bedroom, she sat down on the bed and she pulled off her shoes. Joey watched her from the door way.

'Are you going to call him?' he asked her

'I don't know I haven't thought about it Joey' she said, she got up and she undid her coat and hung it up in the wardrobe.

She walked into the bathroom and started the shower running and started to take off her clothes.

'What are you doing?'

'Taking a shower'

'Why?'

'Because I'm hot. It's a hot day' she told him 'and I feel all icky'

'He fancies you' Joey crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her strip down to her underwear

'Oh my god…. Joey….' Lauren frowned and looked at him as she slid her knickers down her legs and stepped out of them 'We've just met up again after 6 years. Up until 15 minutes ago I hadn't given Nick Stephens a second thought' she told him, she reached behind her and undid her bra and bent down to pick up her knickers and put them both in the laundry basket. She turned to look at him in her all her naked glory. 'I hardly think that after 5 minutes of meeting me that he'd fancy me'

'I did' Joey replied.

Lauren walked over to him and she started to undo his jeans 'Okay, so what if he does?' she asked him 'Out of the two of you who am I standing naked in front of right now?'

Joey licked his lips 'Me' he replied

'Exactly, you' she said 'so are you going to stand there and be all jealous over nothing or are you going to join me in the shower?' she asked him, she turned and stepped into the shower, she ran her fingers through her hair as the water hit it and he watched the water running over her breasts and down over her stomach and over her thighs. He stripped in record time, stepped into the shower and pulled her towards him.

**AN: Jealous Joey rears his head again. **

**Is it a coincidence that Nick Stephens is in Walford? Is he going to cause trouble between Joey and Lauren?' **

**What did Joey talk to Jim about? **

**All will be revealed…..**

**As always R&R and thank you for all your reviews so far. **


	121. Chapter 121

Lauren licked her lips and she looked up at Joey who was laying on his back his hands behind his head looking very pleased with himself. Granted, he had every reason to be pleased with himself. Jealous Joey certainly pulled out all the stops, once in the shower, once on the bedroom floor and twice more when they actually made it to the bed. Lauren liked sex with jealous Joey. She grinned, actually scratch that she liked sex with Joey full stop. No. She loved sex with Joey.

She placed a loud wet kiss to his stomach 'I love you' she said

'Are you telling me or my penis?' Joey looked down at her, she trailed kisses up his torso to his lips.

'At this current time….10% you 90% your penis' she replied with a grin. She lay her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her

'If I said that to you I'd be in trouble' Joey chuckled

'You'd be in a lot of trouble if I had a penis' Lauren giggled.

'You know what I mean' he laughed with her. They both fell quiet, Joey decided to broach a subject that Lauren didn't want to talk about.

'So… your birthday is in a couple of weeks' Joey said

'Don't remind me' she groaned

'And I was thinking, that you don't want a party or anyone to make a fuss, so what if we weren't in Albert Square?' he asked her 'Then no one can throw you a surprise party or make a fuss of you? You and I can spend your birthday quietly together just the two of us?' he asked her

'If not being in Albert Square means going to your mothers then no. Sarah and Olivia are insisting that I celebrate no longer being a teenager' she replied

'No not my mums' he said 'I was thinking more along the lines of Brighton?' he asked her, she didn't reply so he continued 'I thought maybe we could stay in the same little B&B, there's a new exhibit in the art gallery that we could go see.'

'Can we get some more chocolate covered honeycombe?' she asked him quietly

''Yes, we can do that' he nodded

'And we can stay in the same room?'

'Yes if you want to' he told her

She was quiet for a few minutes 'How long would we go for?'

'Well your birthday is Friday, so we could leave Thursday morning. Stay through until Monday morning?'

'Four days?' she asked him

'We can make it longer if you like' he said 'we can play it by ear' he told her 'We don't have to if you don't want to, It was just an idea' he said casually 'I haven't made any arrangements or anything' he lied

Lauren looked up at him 'I would love to go to Brighton with you for my birthday' she told him with a smile

'Yeah?' he asked her and she nodded

'It's perfect' she replied and she gave him a long kiss.

'So does that you mean you love me more than my penis now?' he asked her

'Nope' Lauren shook her head and Joey laughed.

Lucy was sitting in the café looking through her books. Whitney came in and sat down with her.

'Oh you're still talking to me then?' Lucy asked her

'Yeah course I am' Whitney said

'Only you seem to prefer Lauren's company more than mine' she replied

'Lucy you and Lauren are both my friends' Whitney replied 'I hate that you and Lauren aren't friends. But you were the one who ruined it not me' she told her 'You know Lauren's had a rough time and now she's finally happy with Joey.. I thought you would be pleased for her' Whitney told her

'Yeah she is happy' Lucy nodded 'I tried to apologise but she won't listen. Neither will Joey'

'Can you blame them? You stole a bottle of vodka to try to get Lauren in trouble. You tell Jackson that Lauren and Joey were brother and sister… you keep being a bitch Lucy…is it any wonder that neither of them want anything to do with you' she asked her

'I know I've been a bitch and I feel really awful about it. Can you talk to Lauren? Tell her how sorry I am?' she asked her

'No Lucy. You have to do that yourself' Whitney shook her head 'Look it's her birthday coming up in a couple of weeks. I know that there's a pair of boots that she's had her eyes on for a while. Maybe if you got her those you might make a little headway with her' she told her

'Why doesn't she buy them herself?'

'She's saving money' Whitney told her 'She told me that they've opened a joint savings account. Saving for their future'

Lucy nodded 'Will you show me the boots?'

'Yeah we can go now if you like' Whitney asked her 'I need your opinion on a dress I like'

'Okay' Lucy said and she smiled.

As they walked through town Lucy formulate her new plan. She knew that Lauren didn't trust her at the moment, so she would need to do everything that she could do make sure that she did. Once she was back in the circle of friends, she could then plan her next move.

She made sure Whitney didn't notice as she slipped away and disappear into a mobile phone shop as another plan started to form in her head.

**AN: What is Lucy planning now? **

**Will she succeed in getting Lauren to trust her again? **

**What has Joey got planned for Brighton? Or is it simply following Lauren's wishes to have a quiet birthday? **

**Back laters…**

**As always R&R.**

'You know we are going to have to start using condoms Joey' she told him


	122. Chapter 122

Joey had gone home for a couple of days to visit his mum and see how Olivia was doing. Lauren couldn't get the time off as Sharon was spending most of her time arranging the wedding, So Lauren had agreed to work whilst Joey went home. Joey knew she was disappointed, but promised that they would go again soon, before Olivia had the baby.

As he sat on the train Joey smiled as he remembered when Lauren had come into the club yesterday afternoon after College, excited to show him what she had brought the baby.

'Look how cute is this?' she asked Joey as she pulled out a little blue romper suit with "Mummy's little angel" written across the front and tiny little lambs on it. 'They had another one with "Daddy's little soldier on it' she looked up at him.

'That's really cute babe' he told her with a smile Although part of him was disappointed that she was getting so excited about someone's else's baby and wasn't even interested in having one with him. Starting a family of their own.

He frowned as he remembered bringing the subject up last night with her.

'So we really need to talk about birth control Joey' she called from the kitchen 'We need to make a decision'

Joey had got up from the sofa and switched off the tv.

'Maybe we can have a conversation face to face instead of shouting between rooms' he called back.

He heard Lauren mutter under her breath and she came into the longue and sat down on the sofa.

'Better?' she asked him

'Yes thank you' he nodded. 'So you've already decided that you don't want the patch or the coil. Which leaves condoms, taking the pill again or the implant' he said to her

'I think condoms are pretty much ruled out' Lauren said to him 'You keep buying them but we never use them. There's how many boxes in your drawer now?'

'8' Joey replied

'And you said you don't want to take the pill again so that leaves the implant' Joey said

'I think it's the only option' Lauren said and she looked at him. Joey had gone quiet at that point. 'What do you think?' Lauren asked him 'I spoke to the GP about it and he said that he could book me in as early as next week to have the implant fitted' she told him 'He thinks it the best option too'

'It lasts for 3 years' Joey said 'I mean that's what is said in the leaflet'

'Yeah it does' she nodded 'That's a good thing isn't it?' she asked him

'What if we wanted to have a baby in those three years?' he asked her 'Then what?'

'Joey..'

'No. Llisten to me Lauren. I love you and I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you' he told her 'I want us to start a family'

'And we will one day' she told him, she moved closer to him 'Joey you know that I want that too'

'I don't mean one day Lauren' Joey told her 'I mean now. Today. I want us to try for a baby' he pulled her closer to him.

Lauren blinked at him surprised. 'Joey I'm 19 years old. I have another year left in College. I've just got my life back on an even keel and you have had so much to do with that. And I love you. I love you so much Joey you know that I do' she told him her eyes filling with tears 'But I'm not ready to have a baby' Joey looked down and she cupped his face in his hands, the disappointment was clear in his eyes and she felt her heart breaking for him. 'I'm not saying no Joey. I'm just saying not yet' she told him softly 'I know that you will make a great dad' she told him 'Oscar adores you and you are so good with him. I just…. I don't think that I would make a great mother is all' she told him 'Not right now' she looked at him.

'But you would. You love kids and Oscar worships the ground that you walk on' he told her 'you would make an amazing mother Lauren' he told her, almost pleading with her.

'Babies take up a lot of time and money. We are both really busy working to save money, for us for our future' she said to him 'Babies are in our future Joey I promise' she told him

'I could do more, take care of the baby when you go to College, we can talk to Sharon about our shifts at the club. Abi and Alice would love to babysit their niece or nephew' he told her 'We could afford to do this now. If it's what we both really want'

Lauren's next words were like a knife through his heart 'It's not what I want' she told him as kindly as she could. 'Not now. Not yet' he watched as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Joey had nodded and pushed Lauren away and he got up and walked out of the flat to go to work at the club. He came home later than he usually did, staying behind at the club to drown his sorrows in a few glasses of Jack Daniels. He didn't wake Lauren when he got home and he didn't wake her when he left this morning. He knew that he shouldn't have left without saying goodbye that he understood. He hated leaving her when they were both upset.

He looked at his watch, the one that she had given him on Valentine's Day. It was 10am. He pulled out his phone and he dialled her number. She answered on the first ring.

'Hello?' he could hear that she had been crying and he closed his eyes

'I'm sorry baby. I love you' he said

'I love you too Joey. And I'm sorry too' she told him, he knew she had started to cry again.

'Hey, don't cry honey' he said softly. 'Three years isn't long to wait' he told her 'Just think how much money we will have saved, we'll be able to buy the best things out there' he said

'I do want a baby with you Joey' she whispered softly

'I know, I know you do' he said his voice cracked with his own tears 'I am so sorry that I walked out like that. God I wish that I'd woken you up this morning so that I could have told you that I understand, that I'm willing to wait until you're ready' he told her 'I wish that I'd woken you up and made love to you before I had to leave'

'I wish that too Joey' she replied with a smile 'I'll miss you'

'I miss you already' he told her

'Me too' she replied 'I'll see you when you get back. Say hello to Sarah and Olivia for me' she told him

'You know I will, and I got the present for Olivia' he told her.

'Good' she said quietly.

Joey licked his lips 'I love you so much Lauren. Please say you forgive me'

'There's nothing to forgive' she replied softly 'I better go.. I'm in the café and people are giving me strange looks' Lauren told him with a small laugh.

'Okay. I'll call you later' he said softly

'You better' she replied and she hung up.

She put her phone down and she wiped her eyes with her hands a napkin suddenly appeared in front of her and she looked up and saw Lucy.

'Thanks' she said softly

'Are you okay?' she asked concerned and she sat down

'Yeah I'm fine' she told her, she wiped her nose with the napkin

'How about a coffee and a doughnut on the house?' Lucy asked her and Lauren nodded

'Thanks' she said

Lucy brought two coffees and two doughnuts over and she sat down and she looked at Lauren.

'Remember how we were before we discovered boys?' she asked her 'Life was a lot less complicated' she told her

'Yeah it was' Lauren nodded she wiped her eyes again and sniffed and a new onset of tears fell.

'Oh Lauren' Lucy said and she moved round to sit beside her 'Hey it's okay' she said 'Whatever it is it can't be all that bad' she told her and she put her arm around her 'Why don't you come back to mine hey?' she asked her 'Away from prying eyes?'

Lauren sniffed and nodded 'Okay thanks' she said.

**AN: So they had the baby talk….. how heart breaking was that?**

**And Lucy swooping in being a friend… who would have expected that? **

**Please read and review**

**Laters. **


	123. Chapter 123

Lucy made Lauren a coffee and gave her some more tissues and they sat down on the sofa.

'Can I do anything?' she asked her

'This is good' Lauren nodded 'Thank you'

'I know you'd rather you were sitting round Whitney's right now' Lucy said to her. 'I know she's gone to visit Ant with Tyler'

'Everyone's gone away but me' Lauren said

'Had Joey gone to visit his mum?' Lucy asked her

Lauren nodded 'And Olivia'

'Was that Joey on the phone earlier?' she asked her and Lauren nodded again. 'What and he made you cry over the phone?'

'He was apologising' Lauren told her 'We had a ….fight…. I guess yesterday' she said

'Well that's good that he apologised right?' Lucy asked her as Lauren started to cry again. 'I take it you and Joey don't fight much?' she asked her

'No not really' Lauren shook her head and sniffed

'Well, if he apologised, look on the bright side. When he gets back you two can make up' she said softly.

Lauren looked at her and frowned 'Why are you being so nice to me?' she asked her 'I thought you hated me'

'I don't hate you. I did. I was jealous and a cow...' Lauren raised her eyebrows 'All right I was a bitch' she told her 'I really am sorry Lauren' she said to her 'I know I can get a bit too involved with guys. Go a bit "single white female" as Whitney said the other day' Lucy looked at her 'I've been thinking about us, our friendship and how important it is to me. You me and Whitney were best friends' she said 'We used to do everything together, until we let boys come between us' Lucy said to her 'I slept with your boyfriend and I knew it was the wrong thing to do at the time, but I still went ahead and did it. I could have ruined our friendship… but you forgave me. You were pretty made at me for a while but in the end you forgave me and we were friends again. I know that I've done everything I could to try and split you and Joey up and I realise now that you two are unbreakable. He really loves you and you love him' she told her 'and I also know that we can't go back to being best friends again, but I was hoping we could work on our friendship…. I miss you Lauren' Lucy told her 'and … I know it's not your birthday yet but I got you something' she said 'Just stay there okay?' Lucy said as she got up. She ran up the stairs and she came back down with a badly wrapped box and handed it to Lauren. 'You know I can't gift wrap to save my life' Lucy told her with a smile. Lauren shook the box 'don't worry it doesn't tick or explode or anything' Lucy told her.

Lauren opened the box and inside saw the red suede knee high boots that she had been ogling at the store. 'How did…'

'Whitney showed them to me' she replied 'They'd go really well with your black shift dress with the little red bolero cardigan' Lucy said to her

'These are really expensive' Lauren said

'I wanted to show you that I was serious about us' Lucy said 'If I can't splash the cash on my friends who can I splash it on?' she asked her

'Lucy I don't know what to say .. I can't take these'

'Yes you can, and I don't have to say anything at all. Happy Birthday' she said to her

'Thank you' Lauren said and she looked at Lucy and she smiled at her.

'So does that mean we have a new friend status?' Lucy asked her

'Yes' Lauren nodded 'but this is your last chance Lucy' Lauren told her 'one more stunt and we're done for good'

'I promise' Lucy told her 'So how about we go for a drink tonight?' she asked her

'I can't I'm working at the club'

'Okay then how about I come keep you company?' she asked her

'Okay' Laruen nodded 'It can get pretty dull in there sometimes' she smiled. 'I'd better let you go back to work' she said to her 'Thanks for the coffee and tissues. And the boots'

'You're welcome' Lucy smiled. The two girls hugged a little awkwardly and Lucy showed Lauren to the front door. As she shut the door she heard the back door open and close. Making her way into the lounge she saw Nick. 'Well?'

'All done' he told her 'Full vodka bottle hidden at the back of the freezer' he said 'And I moved some ornaments around for effect. I also broke the deadbolt so whilst it still clicks to make you think that it's locked it doesn't. So anyone can come and go as they please' he smiled at her 'so did I do good?'

Lucy grinned at him 'You did very good' she nodded 'in fact I'd say that you are entitled to a little reward' she told him and she headed for the stairs, Nick grinned and followed her.

**AN: So Lucy has an accomplice. Nick Stephens. Does he have a beef with Lauren? **

**Lucy chose Lauren in a vulnerable moment to make her move and be friends again. Although Lauren's not entirely trusting of her…. Is she going to regret making even the smallest concession?**

**As always R&R **

**Laters**


	124. Chapter 124

Lauren found that she actually had a good time working that night at the club with Lucy being there. Nick had also shown up and spent a considerable amount of time flirting with Lucy. Lucy seemed to be oblivious to it though. Lauren had pulled her to one side when Nick had gone to the bathroom.

'Lucy… he is flirting with you' Lauren told her 'How can you not notice that?'

'Is he?' she asked her

'Yes! Totally!' Lauren said 'He cannot take his eyes off of you. Trust me okay. Flirt back a little and you'll see' she said with a grin. 'Oh he's coming back' Lauren told her 'Good luck!'

Lucy watched as Lauren disappeared to serve someone.

'Is it working?' Nick asked her

'Like a charm' Lucy replied. 'Remember what we talked about?' she asked him

'Yes I know what I am doing' he nodded his head 'I'll see you later?

'Absolutely' Lucy nodded.

Lauren walked back to them 'So can I get you two a drink?'

'Actually I am going to head home. I have an early start tomorrow' Lucy said and she looked shyly at Nick. 'Maybe you could walk me home?'

'No problems' he said and he looked at Lauren 'save my drink for me?' he asked her

'Sure' she nodded and she moved his drink behind the bar.

Half an hour later Nick came back to the club and Lauren gave him his drink back. They laughed and joked and chatted about old times in between Lauren serving people.

He hung around until the club shut, insisting that a gentlemen should walk a lady home. He was clearly a little drunk at this point. Lauren let him walk her to her flat.

'I think that I should be the one walking you home' Lauren laughed as she stumbled for the fourth time. 'Where are you staying?' she asked him

'The B&B' he told her 'Although if you've got a spare sofa I'd be much obliged'

'The walk back to the B&B will do you good' Lauren replied

She pulled her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the bottom door.

'You can't blame a bloke for trying' Nick said 'Sexy thing like you'

'You spent all night flirting with Lucy and now that she's gone you try it on with me?' she asked him

'She's second best' he told her 'I fancy you' he moved up the steps so he was level with her

'Well I'm sorry but I'm already spoken for so….' Lauren turned to look at him, taking a step back when she realised how close he was to her.

'Maybe you could invite me in for coffee? Help sober me up a little' he leaned towards her, clearing intending to kiss her

'I don't think so' Lauren shook her head 'Thank you for walking me home Nick. Good night' she said and she closed the door and ran up the stairs to her flat. She closed the door and heard the lock click and then let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding.

She went into the bedroom and changed in to a pair of Joey's boxer shorts and his t-shirt and he climbed into the bed, hugging his pillow close.

The next day she got up an 11 and saw a text from Lucy asking her to meet her in the pub for lunch. She showered, dressed and made her way over to the Vic as she passed the table by the door she realised a picture of her and Joey had gone. She frowned and she looked around the flat and spotted the picture on the coffee table. Walking over to it she picked it up and put it back where it was supposed to be. She shook her head figuring that either she or Joey had probably moved it when they were studying or something, she grabbed her keys and let herself out of the flat.

Lucy waved when she saw her, Lauren walked over to the table and she sat down 'Hey. You look tired' lucy said

'I didn't sleep well' Lauren admitted

'Missing Joey?' Lucy asked her

'Yeah' Lauren nodded. Lucy smiled at her friend

'Well he'll be back soon' she told her 'Guess who text me this morning' Lucy asked her barely able to contain her grin 'Nick' she said 'He walked me home last night and I gave a him a little kiss and he said that she would call me. He's meeting me in here for lunch'

'Oh well then I should go' Lauren said

'No! Please stay I need moral support' Lucy begged her 'Please?'

Lauren sighed as she saw the door open and Nick walk in. 'Doesn't look as though I have a choice' she said and she picked up a drink and took a long drink

Oh not that one! That's mine' Lucy said

Lauren swallowed the vodka and coke and licked her lips. Lucy smiled.

'Hello ladies' Nick said as she sat down. He moved forward and gave Lucy a soft kiss.

Lauren finished the drink and she got up to go to the bar to get another. 'Hi Tracy. Can I have a vodka and coke please?' she asked her

'Sure' Tracey nodded. Lauren waited patiently for her drink and Lucy watched grinning like a Cheshire cat. Lauren turned to look at them and saw the doors to the Vic open. Lucy's smile fell as Lauren's grew huge.

'Joey!' she exclaimed. She ran across the bar her drink forgotten, and she launched herself at him. His bags dropped to the floor and he managed to catch her as she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist.

'Hey baby' he whispered softly in her ear 'I've missed you' he told her

She pulled back to kiss him long and hard and then she looked at him

'Take me home' she murmured softly.

Once Lauren and Joey were inside they stripped their clothes off on the way to the bedroom, they kissed and licked and sucked each piece of naked skin they could find. Lauren felt him pressing between her legs and she kissed him hungrily, needing him so badly. He stopped suddenly and pulled away from her and she frowned, he reached out and opened his bedside table and he pulled out a box of condoms. He ripped open the box and shook the contents out onto the bed, he picked one up, held the packet between his teeth, tore it open and then slid the condom on. He moved back over Lauren and she felt him pressing between her legs again. He pushed inside her slowly and then kept still and he looked down at her. He started to move slowly and he watched her face as her pleasure was building, when she was almost there he moved faster, they both came together, crying out each other's names.

Joey pulled out of her, removed the condom and tied a knot in it before he dropped it on the bedside table.

He kissed her soundly and then pulled back to look at her 'I promise that I'll use condoms' he told her

Lauren looked up at him and she nodded as she stroked his cheek 'Okay' she nodded.

Joey smiled and he bent down and kissed her.

Back at the pub, Lucy frowned. Joey wasn't due back until tomorrow night. His early arrival definitely put a kink in her plans.

**AN: Well looks like Joey and Lauren finally agreed on birth control. A compromise. **

**And as for Lucy well…. She's such a cow….**

**Laters. **


	125. Chapter 125

Over the next few days, Lauren and Joey had got things back on track after their little blip about babies. Joey had been true to his word and had used condoms every time they had sex. And Lauren had told Joey that Lucy had apologised and that she was getting involved with Nick and that maybe they should give Lucy a break. He reluctantly agreed, deciding to trust his girlfriend's decision, after all she had known Lucy longer than he had, and when you thought about it he had really known Lucy in the biblical sense. They had lunch together, the four of them and Joey saw a different Lucy than she had shown in the past few months, this Lucy he liked.

Joey had been shopping and was in the kitchen putting the food away. He opened the freezer and started to put things in.

'Babe?' Lauren called as she came into the kitchen 'Can you get me the ice cream please?' she asked him. 'I'll be in the bedroom' she told him as she grabbed a spoon, 'Naked' she added as she walked out of the room. Joey smiled and he fished in the freezer, he frowned when his hand closed around a bottle neck. He pulled it out and found a bottle of vodka. He stared at it. Wondering how long it had been there for. As he looked at it he saw that it wasn't even opened. He wondered if she had got it when they had their disagreement and had since forgotten that it was there. He put it back deciding that he wasn't going to say anything, she hadn't drunk any so there was no problem. He trusted her to talk to him if there was something on her mind. He grabbed the ice cream and stuffed the rest of the frozen food in the freezer. 'Joey?' she called out again

'Coming' he called back. He slammed the freezer door shut, grinning he grabbed a can of cream from the fridge and he sprinted to the bedroom. The bottle of vodka forgotten.

They spent an enjoyable afternoon in bed getting each other very sticky and sweaty, and then spent more enjoyable time in the shower getting each other clean.

Lauren and Joey were babysitting Oscar for the day on Wednesday, the day before they were going to Brighton. Joey had tried to find out what she wanted for her birthday but she kept telling him that she had everything that she needed, that she wanted. Brighton with him and that was all the gift that needed. .

They had played games with Oscar in the flat and watched DVD's and now they were on the way to the park to feed the ducks and try and tire the little boy out. They had taken a blanket and Lauren had taken her sketch pad and pencils and she was currently lying on her stomach drawing them while Oscar and Joey were playing Frisbee. She paused as Oscar ran towards Joey grabbed his legs and Joey fell to the floor. Oscar cheered thinking it was the strength and skill of his rugby tackle that had taken Joey by surprise but Lauren knew a dive when she saw one.

'Honey be careful. He's only 5' Lauren called out to Joey as Joey wrestled a little too roughly for Lauren's liking with her little brother. 'You know someone is going to get hurt sooner or later!' she shook her head and looked down at her sketch book again.

'We're good babe' Joey called back, he rolled his hands and knees and he got up to look at Lauren. He was distracted by the view down the front of her dress, which showed a little bit of cleavage and a sneaky glimpse of the pink bra she had put on this morning. He didn't notice Oscar charging for him head down, pretending he was a bull.

Lauren's head shot up at Joey's cry of pain, she saw him collapse on the floor, both hands between his legs

'Ole' Oscar yelled out.

Lauren scurried off the blanket and she rushed over to Joey who was groaning and rolling around on the floor on obvious agony.

'Oscar that's enough' Lauren yelled 'Go and sit down' she told him. Oscar did as he was told and Lauren looked down at Joey, 'Talk to me' she said trying to stop herself from laughing, 'I told you someone was going to get hurt' she told him

'Yes thank you' Joey groaned 'It's not funny!' he told her with a frown 'It's bloody agony!'

'Can you get up?' she asked him. Joey rolled onto his hands and knees again, one of his hands holding himself up from the floor the other one cupping his balls. 'Come on I'll help you' she said, she got him somewhat upright and he limped back to the blanket and sank down on it 'Does it hurt?' she asked him

'Like a bitch' Joey replied

'What's a bitch?' Oscar piped up

Lauren gave Joey a disapproving look 'What it's not as bad as the word you taught him at the zoo' Joey replied

Oscar looked thoughtful for a moment 'Fuck!' he said

Lauren and Joey both hid their smiles 'Oscar that's bad word. You must never ever say it again do you hear me Oscar?' Lauren told him firmly

'Yes Lolly. Sorry Lolly' he hung his head in shame.

'And say sorry to Joey too. You've hurt him being rough and boisterous'

'Sorry Joey' Oscar said and he crawled over to him and kissed his cheek

'It's okay buddy. It was an accident' he told him 'Just means that I won't be having kids any time soon'

Lauren felt tears sting her eyes. She knew it was an off handed comment that Joey had made, that it wasn't directed at her, but it still hurt.

'Come on Oscar let's get you some chips' she said softly 'Let Joey cry like a big girlie by himself for a while'

'I am not crying' she heard Joey reply as she scooped Oscar up and took him to the chip van.

Joey joined them 10 minutes later, he stole a chip from Lauren and sat down beside her 'If you eat these you won't be hungry when we have dinner with Tyler and Whitney later' he told her

'Then I'll just have a salad' she shrugged. 'Oscar do not put them up your nose!' she scolded him

'I'm a walrus!' he replied 'Joey showed me'

'Great' Lauren said shaking her head with a smile 'You are as bad as each other' she turned to look at Joey 'I'm actually amazed that there is 18 years age difference between the two of you'

Joey grinned at her.

After they had dropped Oscar back at her parents, Lauren went into the bathroom, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She opened the bathroom cabinet and looked for some painkillers, she grabbed two and swallowed them down with some water and then went into the bedroom to pack. She put two bags on the bed and started to pack a bag for her and a bag for Joey. She opened the bedside table and picked up an unopened packet of condoms. She dropped them in the bag and then she took them out again. Joey watched with an amused expression as she repeated the action 4 more times and then held them in her hand again.

'If you're worried that my injury today means that we won't be having sex whilst we're away, rest assured Joey Junior is already feeling much better. In fact I think you'll find he's ready for a little test drive' he told her as he walked up behind her and pulled her bottom back against him and ground against her.

'Don't call him that' Lauren said with a smile, 'He's Bob junior, batteries not included' she giggled

'Oh you are so funny' he said and she turned around in his arms, he took the condoms from her 'seriously why the toing and froing?' he asked her

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly 'I wasn't thinking that we wouldn't need them because we wouldn't be having sex. It's my birthday so there'd better be lots and lots of sex. I was just wondering if ….' She trailed off and her teeth worried her bottom lip

'If what?' Joey asked her quietly, his heart pounding in his chest, she looked everywhere but at him, and then her eyes settled on his,

'I was wondering if I wanted to use them' she told him softly 'I'm not sure I …' she trailed off again. Joey tossed the condoms in the bag.

'Until you're sure then we use them' he told her firmly.

She looked at him and nodded 'Okay' she said and she smiled at him 'So … you mentioned a test drive?' she asked him as she turned Joey and pushed him onto the bed, she pulled down his sweatpants and boxers.

'Be gentle with him, he's fragile..' Joey said softly.

**AN: So Joey found the vodka but he trusts Lauren so that's the end of it. Right? And he's put his faith in Lauren with her newfound friendship with Lucy. Good decision or bad decision only time will time. **

**And is Lauren having second thoughts about having a baby….. **

**Thank you for all the reviews…. Means a lot **

**As always R&R **


	126. Chapter 126

'We're going to be late to meet Tyler and Whitney' Joey told her softly, her head was on his chest and his fingers were running up and down her spine.

'I don't want to go' Lauren admitted and she raised her head to look at him 'Can we just stay here?'

'Do you want me to phone and cancel?' he asked her. She shook her head

'Text. If you talk to them they'll talk you round' she said to him.

Joey grabbed his phone off the table and scrolled through until he found Tyler's number.

Whitney and Tyler were walking towards the restaurant when they say Lucy. 'Hey where you two off too?'

'To meet Lauren and Joey for dinner' Tyler said to her

'Oh' Lucy said 'Well tell them I said hi' she smiled at them both. 'I'm off to meet Nick'

'See you later' Whitney said with a grin.

Back at the flat Joey was laughing at the text he was writing.

'What are you up to?' she asked him and she moved so she was half laying on the bed and looking up at him. He was briefly distracted by the feeling of her naked breasts squashed against him. 'Let me see that' she snatched the phone way from him and she looked at it. She started giggling as she read it

"_**HELP! Being held captive by a sex mad woman! Bring water and food! ….." **_

'Joseph Branning!' she exclaimed laughing hard 'Don't you dare send that'

He grabbed the phone back from her 'I wasn't going to I was just messing around….' He told her

'You better delete that' she said grabbing for the phone again, he tried to hold it out of her reach, they both froze when they heard Joey's phone beep once which meant message sent. 'Oh my god you did not!' she exclaimed.

'Your finger was on the button!' he protested. They were both laughing hard now. 'Oh well no need to send another message' Joey told her and he put the phone down on the pillow and moved over her, bending to kiss her, she moaned into this mouth and the phone beeped twice. They broke the kiss and Lauren grabbed the phone and looked at it. 'What does it say?' he asked her

'Lucky you! Tell Lauren Happy birthday Ty & Whit' Lauren read out

Tyler sighed 'Well looks like we've been stood up, want to go back to the pub?' he asked her

'Yeah or we could go back to your flat' Whitney said suggestively,

Tyler grinned at her 'I like the way you're thinking darling' he pulled the keys out of his pocket and gave them to her 'I'll meet you there. I just need to pop to the minute mart' he told her

'Okay' Whitney took the keys and headed off to the flat. As Tyler walked past the alley way to the pub, he saw Lucy open a new bottle of vodka and then pour it down the drain. He frowned and then shrugged and walked into the shop. Lucy waited a few more minutes before she headed to Joey and Lauren's flat, she opened the bottom door and walked up the stairs. She pushed on the door of flat and as Nick said it opened. She crept inside and froze. She could hear someone. Two someone's. She frowned and stepped out of the flat and dialled a number

'Where are they?' she hissed into the phone

'I don't know they're not here' Nick replied 'I saw Tyler and Whitney but they must have got a text or something, they just left' he told her 'They must still be at the flat'

Lucy hung up and closed her eyes annoyed that her latest step wasn't going to happen tonight. She could hear moaning and panting coming from inside the flat. She crept in again and carefully crept to the bedroom door, luckily for her the flat was dark; the street lamp wasn't on yet to throw light into the bedroom. She could make out two shapes on the bed, as carefully and as quietly as she could she took her mobile phone out and set it to video mode and she held up it up with shaky hands.

She heard Lauren sigh and clutch at Joey's back 'oh….. Joey…. Oh god…' she moaned, she dug her nails into Joeys back 'Baby….mmmmm …. Joey'

Joey groaned and he started to move faster 'Lauren ….' he murmured softly

Lucy watched from the door way as Joey and Lauren both reached their climax with a soft cry and then they started to kiss 'I love you baby' Joey murmured softly

'I love you too' Lauren whispered breathlessly.

Lucy turned and crept out of the apartment, she pulled the door behind her and she turned off the video and she went back to her house and up to her room.

Lauren frowned 'Was that the door?' she asked Joey 'I'm sure that was the door Joey' she told him

She sat up 'I'll go' Joey whispered. He got up and pulled on his sweatpants and he crept out of the room to the lounge, he glanced in the kitchen and then walked to the door. It was open. He pushed it and it shut with a click. He pulled the handle and the door opened. He picked up the keys and he went outside and he locked the door and then he pushed it and it opened. He frowned and went back into the flat, Lauren was wrapped in the sheets and watched him worriedly.

'The locks broken' he told her 'I'll run out and get a new one' he said 'Have it fixed in no time' he said 'It was probably someone visiting the old woman downstairs. The draught from shutting the door blew ours open; he told her

'Don't leave me' Lauren said softly

'Okay baby' he said 'I'll give Max a ring and see if he can fix it for us tomorrow' he told her softly.

'What about tonight?' she asked him. He looked at her and he dragged the bureau across the floor and put it against the door.

'Better?' he asked her

'Yes' she said

'Let's go back to bed' he said 'We have an early start tomorrow' he told her.

Across the road in the B&B, Lucy was in bed with Nick. As he was above pumping into her hard, she imagined it was Joey, she turned her head and she pressed play on the video that she had taken and she groaned softly.

**AN: Lucy's gone a little bit single white female here. **

**Hope you enjoy the chapter…. Next Lauren's Birthday and Brighton! **

**As always R&R **


	127. Chapter 127

Lauren woke up the morning of her birthday, she stretched and smiled and rolled over to find she was alone. She frowned 'Joey?' she called out. She climbed out of bed wondering if he was in the shower. Finding the bathroom empty she walked to the balcony. He wasn't there either, she frowned. She'd wanted wake up morning sex on her birthday and her good for nothing boyfriend was AWOL. When they got to the B&B yesterday, Joey had spurned all her advances claiming that he was tired and that they both needed their sleep because he had a special event filled day planned for her for her birthday. And when she had tried to question him about it he told her that she would have to wait and see. When she pressed him he had got a little short with her and told her again that she would have to wait and see and that he was tired.

She sighed and she opened the door to the balcony and she stopped outside. The cool sea breeze was pleasant, she smiled to herself.

She heard the door to the room open, she stepped back inside and saw Joey in his sweatpants and t-shirt; he was sweaty and looked hot. He'd obviously been for a run along the beach. He licked his lips and glanced at her

'Morning babe' he said with a smile and he went into the bathroom 'Happy Birthday' he called over his shoulder as if in afterthought. Lauren decided she would settle for morning shower sex, she smiled to herself and walked to the bathroom door, she was surprised when she found the door locked.

With a sigh and a grumble, she walked to the kettle and made herself a coffee and she took it out onto the balcony. 'Happy Birthday Lauren' she said to herself.

After Joey showered he ushered Lauren into the bathroom without so much as a kiss, telling her that they had a schedule to keep. She took longer in the shower than he told her she could. He banged on the bathroom door and yelled through it to remind her that they needed to get a move on. Even when she came out of the bathroom and "accidentally" dropped her towel got her no response from Joey.

'Babe we don't have time' he told her 'Hurry up and get dressed' he said and he made a swift exit from the room, choosing to stand on the balcony.

He had taken to her breakfast at a little café around the corner. She sat quietly pushing her scrambled eggs around the plate. Joey looked at her and he sighed 'What's wrong babe?' he asked her, she glanced up at him and shrugged

'Nothing' she told him 'I guess you get what you ask for. No fuss' Joey bit his lip trying not to smile at her sulky tone 'No gifts, not even a card' she glanced up at him again, his face was straight

'I asked you what you wanted and you that all you needed was me' he told her 'and this weekend' She mumbled something that he couldn't make out. 'So I suppose that it a good thing that I didn't listen to you then isn't it?' he asked her and he picked up the bag that he had packed this morning and he pulled out a card and he slid it across the table. She put her fork down and she picked up the card and she opened it. On the front was a picture of two teddy bears hugging and the words "To My Girlfriend On Her Birthday". She opened the card and looked at what he had written.

"Happy 20th Birthday Lauren

Hope you have a memorable day, Thank you for letting me spend it with you.

All my love

Joey

Xxxxxxxxxx "

Lauren smiled and she closed the card and then looked up at Joey 'Thank you' she said softly

Joey pushed another envelope toward her and she frowned but picked it up and opened it. 'As you wouldn't give me a clue to what you wanted, I got you some vouchers for your favourite clothing store' he told her. She looked at the vouchers and she saw that he had brought her a £50 voucher.

'Thank you' she said again feeling more than a little guilty for being so grumpy with him. 'I know just the item of clothing that I am going to buy with these'

Joey smiled 'and then I thought that you might like this' he said and he put a little black box down on the table and pushed it across to her with his finger.

Lauren looked at the box and she swallowed, she picked it up and opened it, glancing at Joey, inside were a pair of silver cross earrings. He thought she looked disappointed for a second before she smiled,

'They're beautiful' she told him 'Thank you', she stood up and leant across the table to kiss him softly.

'I'm glad you like them' he said

'I do, thank you' she said again and she sat down.

'Good. Now sit down and eat your breakfast' he told her

After they had eaten. Joey paid and he put the card and the box back in his bag and they walked out of the café. He put his arm around her shoulders.

'Ready for your fun day?' he asked her

'Yes' she nodded with a smile.

By the time they got back to their room, Lauren was tired. She kicked off her shoes and she climbed onto the bed. Joey smiled and he lay down beside her 'Tired babe?' he asked her

'Yeah' she yawned

'Okay you can have a nap for a couple of hours he told her, then I have another surprise for you' he told her softly. He kissed her forehead gently.

'Don't need anymore … happy….' She said as she fell asleep

A couple of hours later Joey gently shook her awake, 'Hey beautiful' he whispered softly and she smiled at him

'Hey' she replied.

'Nap time's over' he told her softly 'I'm taking you to dinner. You have exactly 1 hour to get ready' he said 'Everything you need is in the bathroom' he said.

Curiously she got up and went into the bathroom, she saw a garment bag and a shoebox. She pulled on the shower cap pushing all her hair inside and she took a quick shower. She dried herself and quickly applied some makeup and then unzipped the garment back. Inside she saw some pink underwear and a pink suspender belt and some sheer skin coloured stockings. She smiled and she put the underwear on. Next she saw the purple basque that she had worn once and Joey had like a lot. And then she saw a short flared black skirt. She got dressed and bent down and picked up the shoebox, she frowned when she saw a pair or black sandals. She slipped them on her feet and she brushed her hair through. She spritzed herself with her favourite perfume and then opened the bathroom door. Joey turned round to look at her. He was wearing a black suit Jacket and trousers and a white shirt unbuttoned at the collar. At that moment she thought he had never looked sexier.

'Stunning' he said with a smile and he held out his hand to her, she crossed the room and took it. 'You are so beautiful you take my breath away' he told her

'You look pretty handsome yourself' she replied. He smiled at her and he drew her towards him, he kissed her gently and tenderly and she felt her body responding to him. She moved her arms around his neck and he caught them and held her hands in his in front of him.

'We have plenty of time for that' he told her 'right now we have a dinner reservation to keep'

'I don't mind missing it' she replied truthfully

'We can't. It's a very exclusive restaurant. There's a waiting list' he replied. 'Not everyone can get it. You have no idea the amount of strings I have pulled to get us a table for your birthday'

He led her to the door, grabbed the key from the side and they left. She frowned when he led her down to the beach 'I thought we were going to a restaurant' she said softly

'I thought maybe we could go for a romantic moonlit stroll on the beach first' he said to her. 'If that's okay?'

She looked at him and nodded 'Yes'

Joey took her hand and they walked along the sand to the sea front. He turned Lauren and stood behind her, sliding his arms around her waist, his hands resting on her stomach and they looked out to sea.

'It's so peaceful here' Lauren said 'I wish we could leave Albert Square and come and live here' she told him

'Then where would we get away to?' he asked her, his voice close to her ear. She covered his hands with her own.

'We'd find somewhere else' she replied

'Somewhere else with this many memories?' he asked her 'All the places we visited. The toy museum, I know that was your favourite' he told her and she smiled 'the Art Gallery, the Funfair. You had your very first taste of chocolate covered honeycomb here' he said as he moved her hair away from her neck 'I told you a lot of stories about myself. And we made love for the first time here' he told her and he pressed a soft kiss to her throat.

'That's true' she said quietly. She turned her head to his and they kissed softly.

'Are you ready to eat baby?' he asked her

'Yes' she said

'Okay' they started walking again and he stopped suddenly and put his hands over her eyes,

'What are you doing' she asked him

'I want it to be a surprise' he told her 'Do you trust me?'

'Yes'

'Good' he started walking them forward 'Okay are you sure that you can't see?' Joey asked her for the eighth time

'Yes!' she said snappishly 'I can't see anything' he felt her frown under his fingers.

He led her a little further and then they stopped walking 'Okay are you ready?' he asked her

'Yes' she nodded

Joey removed his hands from her eyes and she blinked a few times while her eyes refocused. In front of her on the beach was a round dinner table. A white table cloth, plates, glasses and a vase with a pink carnation sat in the middle of the table, a waiter standing nearby. Lanterns hung from the patio of the building next to it and Lauren realised it was their room.

'Joey!' She exclaimed 'Oh my gosh!'

'Very exclusive restaurant' he told her 'Only one table' he said and he took her hand and he led her to the table, he pulled out her chair as she sat down, she looked up at him and he stole a kiss 'Happy Birthday baby' he told her softly.

They ate 3 courses, Prawn cocktail for starters, roast beef with vegetables for main and a chocolate mousse for dessert. Lauren drank a glass of wine throughout dinner and then moved to water, Joey did the same. The waiter cleared the table when they were finished and then a few moments later brought them coffee and mints.

'Thank you Joey this has been the perfect birthday, the perfect day' she said smiling at him 'I'm sorry I was such a grouch this morning'

'It's okay' Joey said 'I missed sex with you too' he told her with a knowing smile, Lauren blushed 'And I promise that we'll make up for it later … there's just one more surprise' he told her, she saw him reach into his pocket, but got distracted by fireworks that suddenly lit up the sky.

'Oh!' she gasped. They watched the firework display and Lauren remembered the time that she had watched them with her grandfather, Joey had remembered. Lauren's eyes filled with happy tears and she picked up her napkin and dabbed them away. Joey smiled as he watched her. When the display had finished she turned back to look at him, 'Joey that was perfect, thank you' she said smiling at him 'I'll never forget today' she told him

Joey decided he needed to come clean 'I wish that was me, but it wasn't' he told her 'I think it had something to do with the last night of the Carnival' he said

'It doesn't matter' she shook her head 'It's the perfect end to the perfect day' she told him 'whether you organised it or not'

Joey smiled at her 'Actually that's kind of stolen my thunder a little' he said to her 'I'm not sure I can top a spontaneous firework display' he told her.

'What do you mean?' Lauren asked him with a frown

'I have one more surprise for you' he said

'More than this?' she asked him, 'It's already too much' she told him, she saw him reach into this pocket again and he got up and he walked towards her. 'You've brought me more jewellery… Joey the earrings were more than enough' she told him.

'Now I talked to Granddad about this. It seemed fitting as the head of the family that he should know what my intentions were' he told her 'and he gave me his blessing so…..'

Her heart started to race in her chest as he opened the box with shaking hands and dropped down onto one knee on the sand. Her mouth popped open and she held her hand up to her mouth as she gasped in surprise

He took a deep breath and he licked his lips 'Lauren Branning….'

'Yes' she whispered before he got any further, her eyes filling with tears again.

Joey's lips twitched 'I haven't asked you yet' he replied unable to hide his smile

'Sorry' she said, although he knew she wasn't.

He took another breath and licked his lips again 'Lauren Branning. I loved you from the first moment that I saw you. l fall in love with even more every single day. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I want to have children with you, and I'm hoping that you feel the same way. So marry me?' he asked her

Lauren nodded, tears streaming down her face 'Yes' she told him 'Yes. I do feel the same way. And yes, I'll marry you, Joseph Branning' she said through her tears. Joey beamed at her, he pulled out a platinum gold solitaire diamond ring, she held out her left hand and he carefully slid the ring onto her ring finger and then brought the ring up to his lips and kissed it softly. He stood up and he pulled her out of her chair and he moved closer and he kissed her tenderly, before he eased her into his arms 'I love you so much Joey' she whispered to him

'I love you to baby' he replied. He bent down and swept her legs into his arms and she carried her towards their room.

'Where are we going now?'

'Bed' he replied. He carried her up the stairs and into the room and over to the bed, he lay her down on it gently and he started to undress her and himself. 'The first time we came here, I made love to my girlfriend' he told her in between kisses 'the second time we're here I'll be making love to my fiancée' he told her 'and the third time we come here, I'll be making love to my wife' he whispered softly.

Lauren looked up at him and she smiled 'I love the sound of that' she told him and she helped him remove the rest of their clothes.

**AN: So….. was that what you all expected? Are you all swooning over romantic Joey? **

'**Let me know what you thought. **

**Next chapter … back to Albert Square.. How is everyone going to react to the news? **

**I know someone who isn't going to be very happy! Not happy at all! **


	128. Chapter 128

Joey and Lauren walked back through Albert Square, hand in hand, both with big Cheshire cat grins on their faces and towards Lauren's parent's house to collect the new keys to the flat from Max.

Lucy saw them and she smiled, wondering how long it would take Joey to find the empty vodka bottles under the bed. She had heard Max on the phone to Joey, talking about a locksmith or a new lock and realised that the broken lock had been discovered and knew that access to their flat would soon be denied again, so she had snuck into the cellar of the pub after the delivery and stolen another 2 empty vodka bottles, snuck into Lauren and Joey's flat for the last time and planted three empty vodka bottles under their bed instead of just the one as she had originally intended.

Max and Tanya heard a knock on the door and Tanya sighed 'Abi can you get that?' she asked her 'I have jam all over my hands. Get rid of whoever it is will you, we're going to be late'

Abi got up from the breakfast table and walked to the front door she smiled when she saw who it was 'Hi' she smiled and she hugged Lauren and then Joey 'Come in' she said 'Mum, it's Lauren and Joey!' she called out, they put their bags down by the door and Abi led them into the kitchen.

'Hi' Lauren said 'We came to pick up the keys'

'You're back then?' Tanya said a little off with her

'Yep, literally just stepped off the train' Lauren replied

Max got up and he opened a drawer and he pulled out 2 set of keys and he gave them to Joey who was the closest

'Thanks. How much?' Joey asked him

'Forget about it. Call it a belated house warming present from me and Tan' Max told him with a smile

'Thanks Max' Joey put the keys in his pocket.

'Well if you two want breakfast you'd better be quick' Tanya said she walked to the bottom of the stairs 'Mum will you hurry up with Oscar please!' she shouted 'Honestly I don't know why it takes that woman so long to get Oscar ready in the mornings' she muttered as she returned to the kitchen 'She offers to help and this is what I get'

Lauren looked at her 'How about you sit down and have a cup of tea mum' she told her

'What, I don't have time Lauren… I have to get Oscar to school, open the salon, clean up the house'

'Nan can take Oscar to school and Poppy can open the Salon' she replied 'and knowing you the only room in the house that isn't clean is the kitchen because of breakfast. Sit'

Max looked at his daughter and he spotted something sparkling on her left hand. He looked at Joey and then at Lauren.

'Sit down Tan' Max said nodding his head with a smile. He poured her a cup of tea and she picked it up and took a drink and let out a sigh.

'Mm that's better' Tanya said softly. She looked at Lauren 'So … did you have a nice birthday?' she asked her

'Yes thank you' Lauren nodded 'It was the best birthday ever'

'What? Even better than that time me and your dad took you and Abi to the chocolate factory?' Tanya asked her 'You said that was your best birthday ever, even when you were throwing up because you ate too much chocolate. Do you remember that Max?'

'Even better than that' Lauren said softly. She licked her lips and he looked at Joey, he put his arm around her and nodded. 'Joey spoiled me all day even though I acted liked a brat for a little part of the morning. Then we had a romantic, moonlit walk on the beach and then Joey had arranged for us to have dinner on the beach outside our room. There was a firework display and …'

'Joey arranged a firework display?' Abi piped up 'Aw that's so romantic'

'No organising on my part' Joey said 'It was just aptly timed and we were in the right place at the right time' he said to her 'Although watching her face as she watched them kind of made me wish that I did arrange that too' Joey admitted,

'Ssh Abi, let your sister finish' Max said to her

Lauren looked at him and she smiled, she looked at Joey again and was rewarded with a huge grin

'What did he get you.. for your birthday?' Abi asked her

'He got a clothing voucher to my favourite store and a pair of silver cross earrings,' Lauren told her, she pulled her hair away from her ear with her right hand to show her sister and her mother. 'As well as paying for our trip away'

'Aw Lauren these are gorgeous' Tanya said as she stood up and put her finger behind the earring so she could see it better 'And they look expensive' she looked at Joey

'She's worth it' he replied truthfully hugging her close to him

'And then'

'Where did you go?'

'Brighton' Joey said 'Mum used to take me and Alice there a lot when we were kids' he told her 'I loved it there and I knew Lauren would too' he said. Max saw him nudge Lauren slightly in encouragement

'What….' Abi started to say. Max put his hand over her mouth. Tanya looked surprised and she smiled

'Will you let your sister talk Abs' he told her 'I think she and Joey have got something that they want to tell us' he said. Tanya frowned and she looked back at her eldest daughter and nephew.

'Joey gave me one more thing' Lauren said 'This' she held out her left hand and Tanya's hands flew up to her mouth as she saw the solitaire engagement ring sitting on her daughter's finger 'Joey asked me to marry him and …'

'And she said yes' Joey grinned

Max stood up and he shook Joey's hand and then pulled the boy into a hug 'Congratulations mate' he said to him

'Thanks Max' He moved round to hug and kiss Lauren 'Congratulations Lauren' he hugged her tightly.

'Thanks dad'

Abi squealed 'Oh can I be bridesmaid! Please Please!' she said and she hugged Joey and then Lauren

'We only get engaged on my birthday' Lauren said 'We haven't exactly made any arrangements yet' max watched as the newly engaged couple exchanged glances and he knew that they had already started to discuss arrangements.

'Let me see the ring' Abi said. 'Oh gosh it's gorgeous!' Abi said 'Can I try it on?'

'No!' Tanya said 'It's bad luck' she said and she took Lauren's hand out of Abi's and she looked at it 'It's beautiful' she said softly and she looked at Lauren, Lauren swallowed waiting for the yelling and screaming. 'Oh darling I'm so pleased for you. Congratulations' she said and she engulfed Lauren into a hug that seemed to go on forever, when she did let her go she moved onto Joey and she gave him an equally long hug as well as an unexpected kiss. 'Congratulations to both of you' she told them 'Is it too early for champagne? It's probably too early for champagne' Tanya said and she looked at Lauren and Joey 'You know what sod it. It's a special day' she told them both 'Max'

Minutes later they were sitting in the kitchen drinking champagne. Lauren wrinkled her nose and Joey smiled

'Bubbles?' he asked her softly and she nodded, he smiled and he kissed her nose and then her lips.

'What have I missed?' Cora eyed the glasses as she walked into the kitchen with Oscar.

'Joey!' Oscar grinned, Joey put his glass down and pulled Oscar onto his lap and he whispered in his ear

'Joey and Lauren are getting married' Oscar repeated

'That explains the champagne' Cora said 'Congratulations darling' she said squeezing Lauren's shoulder and kiss her on the cheek. 'You too Joey' he was given a kiss by Cora too 'Lets see the diamond then' she took Lauren's hand and she whistled obviously impressed 'Nice. This one's definitely a keeper' she told Lauren with a grin. 'Well I better take this one to school. Save me champagne'

'I don't know mum, Oscar's looking a little peaky don't you think?' Tanya said 'I think we better keep him off school today, just in case' she said and she poured a glass of champagne for her mother.

Half an hour later, after they had agreed to meet in the Vic at 7 for a proper celebratory drink funded by Max and Tanya, Lauren and Joey escaped the house. They reached their flat and Joey took his keys out and opened the bottom door 'I've never been kissed by so many women in one day' he told her

'Do you think you can handle one more woman kissing you?' Lauren asked him her eyes fell to his lips as she moved closer to him.

'I think I can' he smiled as her lips moved over his.

Lucy stepped out of the old shop across their flats with a big smile on her face, she had just acquired another Beales Plaice. She locked the door and turned and saw Joey and Lauren kissing on their doorstep.

Joey grinned breaking this kiss 'We should go inside' he murmured huskily 'Continue this in the bedroom'

Lauren grinned at him 'Baby you read my mind' he said and she stole one more kiss before they disappeared into the building.

**AN: Surprised by Tanya's reaction?**

**What is Lucy doing buying a property so close to their flat? **

**What happens when Joey and Lauren share their news with the rest of the square? **

**Back later…**

**Thank you for all your lovely reviews they really mean a lot. Glad you are all enjoying the story so much.! **

**As Always R&R.**


	129. Chapter 129

Joey left Lauren at home, unpacking and sorting out the washing. He had made a run to the store to get a few essential items, like milk, bread etc and stopped off to tell Alice their news. After she had stopped jumping up and down and squealing, giving Joey more hugs and kisses, he invited her to the Vic that night for a quite celebratory drink with their Aunt and Uncle.

They walked into the pub hand in hand at 6:45pm, getting a large table so that their family could join them, Lauren had also text Whitney and Tyler and asked them to meet them there too. She thought about texting Lucy but wondered if that would be a good idea, they were friends but they weren't anywhere near being close friends and Lauren decided that she wanted her nearest and dearest to celebrate with her.

Joey went to the bar and brought them both a 2 cokes and took them back to the table, he sat to the left of her and he took her left hand in his.

Max, Tanya. Cora and Abi came in first, got their drinks and joined them at the table, followed closely by Alice

'Oh let me see the ring' Alice said squeezing in next to Lauren. Joey held up Lauren's hand and Alice sighed 'Oh it's so beautiful' Alice told her 'I am so happy for you. You already feel like my sister, soon it will be official' she said and she hugged Lauren tightly.

'Yeah it will' Lauren smiled at her.

'I'm so excited I hope I'm going be a bridesmaid

'Three bridesmaids sorted out already' Tanya said

'Three?' Lauren frowned.

'Abi. Alice and Oscar'

'Oscar?' Max asked her

'Yeah he decided he wanted to be a bridesmaid too' Tanya said 'I tried to explain that girls are usually bridesmaids and that they wear pretty dresses and that perhaps Lauren could have him as a page boy but he's insisting that he wants to be a bridesmaid' Tanya told him

'Oh he would look so cute in a dress' Abi said and Lauren grinned 'Hey do you remember when we dressed in up in our old dresses when he was a baby' Lauren nodded and laughed

'Yeah I do. I had forgotten about that'

'No one is putting my son in a dress!' Max said with a frown 'You two girls are to blame for giving him a complex'

'All boys go through phases of dressing up in girls clothes' Alice said 'Joey did and I've got pictures at home to prove it'

'Alice!' Joey exclaimed blushing

'He got into mum's makeup and jewellery and everything' she said laughing 'I'll fish them out when you next come over' she told Lauren

'I can't wait to see Joey dressed as a girl' she laughed and she squeezed his hand

'You see there are times when I wish I was an only child' he told them all. Everyone was laughing when Tyler and Whitney came in followed by Jack, Sharon, Bianca and Carol. Dot came in next.

'I thought you said a quite drink dad' Lauren hissed at him

'Yeah I did. Got to invite the whole family haven't I?' he asked her

With drinks brought and everyone gathered around the table, Max stood up. 'Er excuse me everyone, If I can have a bit of hush please…. ' he said

'Oh my god. Dad no!' Lauren said embarrassed. Joey squeezed her hand and he kissed her cheek, pausing to whisper in her ear

'If he doesn't do it it'll be me and I want to yell it from the roof' Joey told her

'Alfie!' Max said when the pub didn't quiet down.

'What's going on Max?' Jack asked him

Alfie rang the bell in the pub 'ALL RIGHT EVERYONE A LITTLE HUSH PLEASE!' he shouted 'MAX BRANNING THE FLOOR IS YOURS'

Whitney looked at Lauren and saw her looking really embarrassed she frowned.

'Thank you everyone' Max said 'Alfie' he said 'You all know me, for those of you who don't I'm Max Branning and I'd like to make an announcement.' Tanya hit his arm 'My wife and I, the beautiful Tanya would like to make an announcement.' he told them all. 'As you know I have three gorgeous children. And my eldest daughter has recently celebrated her 20th birthday'

The pub cheered and a chorus of Happy Birthday's rang out and then Alfie led them in singing happy birthday to her.

Lauren leant towards Joey 'This is why I didn't want to be here for my birthday' she told him

'Say thank you' Joey whispered back

'Thank you' Lauren called out and she waved her right hand and gave everyone the thumbs up and then as her dad started to speak again she sank lower in her seat.

'But that's not what the announcement was' Max said 'As you all know Lauren has been dating Joey for a while now. And he took her away for a romantic break for her birthday.' This time Joey blushed

'There goes your tough guy image' Lauren grinned 'I wonder if he's going to mention you cook too?'

'And while they were away…..'

'Here goes' Lauren whispered

'Is it too late to make a run for it?' Joey asked her

'Way too late honey' Lauren replied

'…. And while they were away. Joey proposed to Lauren. And Lauren said yes' Max said 'and Tanya and I couldn't be happier. So if you could all raise your glasses and join me in a toast 'To the happy couple, To Lauren and Joey'

'To Lauren and Joey!' everyone toasted and the erupted into a round of applause and shouts of congratulations were shouted.

'Champagne for the happy couple. On the house' Alfie said bringing over a couple of bottles and some glasses. 'Congrats darling' he kissed Lauren on the cheek and shook Joey's hand 'Smart man. You got a good one there'

'Yeah I know' Joey replied and he smiled.

For the next half an hour, Lauren and Joey were hugged and kissed by their family and friends. And much to Lauren's horror a couple of complete strangers, and to make matters worse she was fairly certain that one of them squeezed her ass as he hugged her.

She made her way to the bathroom and turned to see Joey being kissed and hugged by aunts and cousins. She laughed to herself and went into the ladies room.

'Well aren't you a dark horse' Whitney said looking at her in the mirror as she washed her hands. 'Did you know?'

'No. It was a total surprise' Lauren told her 'Oh god Whit I didn't have a clue' she shook her head 'He gave me a little black box at breakfast on my birthday and I thought he was proposing then, but when I opened the box there was a pair of earrings in it' she said 'And then when he did propose he pulled out a box exactly the same as that one and I thought he'd got me more earring or a necklace, I didn't even imagine that it was a ring'

Whitney smiled 'I am so pleased for you babe' Whitney told her 'You really deserve to be happy Lauren and I'm glad that you found Joey and that he makes you happy'

'He does' she nodded 'Beyond happy and then some' she smiled at her best friend

'So do I get to see the ring then?' Lauren held out her hand and Whitney held in hers 'It's gorgeous. It is real'

'Yes of course it's real' Lauren told her with a grin 'and I want to officially ask you to be my chief bridesmaid' Lauren said

'Really?' she asked her and Lauren nodded

'Yes'

'I would love to' Whitney said and the two girls hugged each other.

After a few more minutes they walked back into the pub and Joey's eyes met hers. She smiled at him as he winked at her.

As the two girls reached the table, Joey moved to meet them 'Hey' he said softly pressing his forehead against her 'So… when we get married.. I'm thinking that we elope?' he asked her half seriously

'Yes' she nodded in agreement.

'How about a dance from the happy couple' Jack called out and Sharon nodded at Alfie

'That happens at the wedding Jack' Alice told him

'Yeah but knowing these two we won't get one. I bet they plan to elope' he called back

'They wouldn't dare' Tanya said

Max smiled 'Yes they would'

Joey and Lauren looked at each other and they heard Bruno Mars, It Will Rain come over the pubs speakers.

'We should do as they say and it is our song' Joey said softly and he took Lauren's hand and led to her to the space that the family had cleared and he took her into her arms and they started to dance. Losing themselves in the music, the words and in each other's eyes and being completely oblivious to everyone else in the room, they kissed.

'Oh looks like we might get a preview of the wedding night too' Tyler said as Joey's hands slid from Lauren's back to her ass and he squeezed it.

'What's going on?' Lucy asked Whitney as she came in with Nick 'Why are Lauren and Joey dancing in the middle of the Vic'

'Oh Lucy! Its brilliant news' Whitney said 'Joey and Lauren are getting married. He proposed on her birthday all romantic on the beach' she told her with a grin 'Look at them, they're so in love…'

Lucy scowled. Well this definitely puts a big kink in her plans. This was going to be much harder than she thought. She sighed and then a sly smile crossed her face. Well she'd just have to work extra hard at being nice to them and then when she was even closer to them she could break from the inside. Oh things weren't over, things weren't over by a long shot. Lauren Branning would get what was coming to her if it was the last thing that Lucy did.

She watched as the couple broke apart and turned and smiled at everyone. Lucy plastered a huge grin on her face and bounded over to them

'I've just heard the good news. I am so pleased for both of you.' She gushed at them 'Congratulations' she said and she pulled Lauren into a hug and then Joey, she kissed his check and breathed in the scent of him, revelled in the brief moment that he held her in his arms.

'Thanks Lucy' Joey told her 'That really means a lot to both of us'

'Let me see the ring…. On my…. Look at that! Joey it's perfect and just what Lauren would want' she smiled at them both. 'I can see that you are celebrating with your family. Let me buy lunch tomorrow. We can go up to the West End'

'I have college tomorrow' Lauren told her 'But it's a lovely thought'

'Okay well then the little quaint café across the road. Say 12:30pm?' Lucy suggested

Joey looked at Lauren and she nodded 'Yeah okay, thanks Lucy' he smiled at her

Lucy hugged them both again. 'Great, well I'll leave you both to celebrate. Nick and I just came into get some wine' she told them both. She walked away and grabbed Nick's hand who was holding the wine. Lauren felt uneasy as Nick held up the bottle of wine and tipped it towards her like a salute before they left the pub. Joey kissed Lauren's cheek, she totally forgot the uneasy feeling she had.

**AN: So views…..questions…...comments… **

**How much do you hate Lucy right now? **

**And how many of you are totally and completely head over heels in love with my Joey?' **

**R&R as always **

**Laters…**


	130. Chapter 130

The celebrations ended at 11:00pm and Lauren almost had to carry a tired and a little tipsy Lauren home. She giggled again at something she saw that she thought was amusing.

'I think someone's had a little too much champagne hey?' he asked her

She hiccupped and giggled again 'I only had 3 glasses' she protested

'4 actually, 1 less than me. You're just not used to drinking anymore that's all' he said with a smile and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head 'Come on you' he said he opened the door to the flat. 'Let's get you into bed'

'Finally!' she grinned

Joey laughed 'You need to sleep baby. You've had a long day' he told her and he carried her then to the bedroom and set her down gently on her feet next to the bed. 'Get undressed and get into bed, I'll get you some water' he told her softly as he placed a soft kiss to her lips.

Lauren licked her lips 'mmm okay' she said,

When Joey came back her clothes were strewn all over the bed and she was tucked up in bed, he smiled as a small snore escaped her lips. He picked up her clothes and put them in the laundry basket, cleaned his teeth before undressing and climbing into bed. He gathered close the girl he loved with all his heart and she mumbled something intelligible, he smiled and kissed her forehead and closed his eyes.

The next day Lauren looked at the clock, it was 12:45. Her tutor had she wanted a 5 minute chat 20 minutes ago, she was going to be late for her lunch with Lucy and Joey. She looked at her tutor and again told her that she had to go, but she either didn't hear or her ignored and continued to talk about the direction Lauren needed to take her work in.

Lucy told Joey about her relationship with Nick, the two of them had come up with a pretty good story. Lucy let Joey know that Lauren was responsible for bringing the two of the together and ended with a "I hope that we can be as happy as you and Lauren are"

Joey smiled at her 'Thank you, we really are, and I hope you can be too' he said. He frowned and looked at his watch 'Where is she?'

'You know Lauren she has her own time entirely' Lucy smiled at him 'I'll bet she'll even be late for her own wedding' she said

'Yeah probably' Joey said shaking his head

'So how is she? Lauren?'

'She's fine' Joey said to her 'Busy at college. Busy at work'

'And she's not drinking?'

'Other than a glass of wine on her birthday and a few glasses of champagne yesterday nope' he shook his head

'Only.. a few weeks ago I saw her buy a bottle of vodka at the minute mart' Lucy told him. Joey looked at her and saw the concern on her face.

'She's not drinking again Lucy' he told her softly

'Are you sure?'

'Yes. I found the bottle of vodka in the freezer. It's not been opened' he told her 'If Lauren feels that she needs vodka she talks to me' he said 'that was the deal that we made.'

'Good, that's really good. I am so glad that you are there for her and supportive of her' Lucy said 'Yu know she could have used you before. I mean she was really good at hiding her drinking. You'd think that she was sober when all along she wasn't. I remember Max telling me once that she used to hide her empty bottles all over the house so they didn't know how much she was drinking' Lucy continued. 'When I asked Lauren why she drank vodka she said it was because you couldn't smell it on her breath and it looks like water so you could have it in a water bottle and drink from it all day and no one would notice'

Joey frowned and he shook his head 'I know her. I trust her. She's not drinking behind my back' he told her firmly. He looked up as Lauren rushed through the door looking flustered.

'I am so sorry that I am late' Lauren said as she took a seat next to Joey and gave him a kiss. 'My annoying tutor decided that she wanted to talk about my course work for like an hour!' she told them both.

'Its okay' Lucy said 'we haven't eaten' she said 'Joey and I have been catching up and I've been boring him with stories about me and Nick' she grinned at her.

Lauren pulled out a half full bottle of water from her bag. Lucy snuck a peek at Joey, he watched her as she unscrewed the lid and drank a quarter down in one and the paused for breath. 'I am so thirsty' Lauren said. She took another few mouthfuls, screwed the cap back on and then put it back in the bag. 'So are we ready to order?' she asked

Lucy's words played over in Joey's head and when, after they had got home, Lauren had gone to take a shower, he pulled the water bottle out of her bag, unscrewed the lid, he sniffed it and then took a mouthful. It was just water. He put the bottle back in her bag and went into the kitchen, he opened the cupboard under the sink and looked for empty bottles and then he looked in the mop cupboard as Lauren called it, then he went to the freezer and he reached inside for the bottle of vodka. He found it and he pulled it out. The seal was still unbroken. He let out a breath he didn't realise that he was holding and he put the bottle back. Suddenly his relief turned to overwhelming guilt of what he had just done. He'd acted like he didn't trust her. He frowned, angry with himself.

'Oh are you cooking dinner?' Lauren asked him 'I'm starving. What are we having?'

He shut the freezer door and turned to face her. The guilt returned ten-fold 'Actually I was thinking about taking you out for dinner at the restaurant' he told her softly

'Yeah? What did I do to deserve dinner out?'

'You don't have to do anything' he replied 'I just love you and want to treat you.'

He made love to her that night slowly, tenderly, trying to show her how much he loved her. Later when they were lying in each other's arms on the brink of sleep, Lauren realized that they hadn't used protection. She lay awake longer then Joey did as she thought about the consequences.

**AN: Hope you enjoy this chapter. Lucy's managed to be a little niggle in Joey's head will he ignore it or will it continue to bug him?**

**And could Lauren be pregnant?**

**R&R as always and laters…..**


	131. Chapter 131

When Lauren got her period 3 weeks later, she was surprised, that instead of feeling the relief that she thought she would be that she was upset and tearful. And that's how Joey found her when he came back from a night with Tyler. Curled up crying on the sofa, a box of tissues in front of her and an empty glass.

'Honey, what's wrong?' he said as he rushed over to her 'Hey come here' he said, his heart was racing in his chest as all sorts of things ran through his head. She let him move her onto his lap and she buried her face in her neck and sobbed against him. 'Ssh…' he rubbed her back softly 'Its okay, I'm here. I've got you baby' he whispered against her hair. 'Sssh'

After 15 minutes of uncontrollable sobbing she finally calmed down, she lifted her face off his shoulder and then licked her lips, Joey plucked a tissue from the box and he wiped her eyes and her cheeks and then he held the tissue over her nose 'Blow' he told her as if she were a child. She blew air through her lips and Joey smiled 'There that's better' he said. 'Now are you going to tell me what the matter is?' he asked her, she shrugged 'Hey… come on, its me. You can tell me anything remember?' he reminded her softly 'Doesn't matter what it is' he said

'It's silly' she told him

'Why don't you let me the judge of that?' he asked her

Lauren looked down and she closed her eyes 'Its just…I got my period today is all' she said quietly

'Like you do every month?' he asked her 'Only usually there's not this many tears' he said and he frowned at her 'Are the cramps really bad? Do you want me to get you a hot water bottle? Some ice cream?' he asked her

'No, they're not that bad' she said shaking her head

'Do you want me to refill your glass?' he asked her

'You can't' she said as she moved off his lap 'I drank it all' she said and she burst into tears again. Joey swallowed and held her tightly

'It's okay I can go get some more?' he asked her softly

'You would?' she asked him through her tears

'Of course baby' he nodded 'You tell me what it is you want and I will go get it for you.' he told her 'we can drink it together. So why don't you tell me what it is?'

Lauren licked her lips 'The juice that you like' she said to him 'The cranberry or grapefruit..' 'Joey sighed and he smiled

'I'll go get some now' he told her 'I'll be as quick as I can'

Lauren nodded and he kissed her softly 'Thank you' she replied softly

Joey returned 20 minutes later and found her asleep on the sofa. He smiled to himself and he pulled out his phone and he text Lucy to say that they would have to cancel tonight as Lauren wasn't feeling well. He turned his phone off and he picked Lauren up carefully and he carried her into the bedroom, laying her down on the bed and pulled his half of the duvet over her. Joey carried the juice to the fridge and he put the glass in the sink. He reached for the handle of the freezer and he stopped himself, shaking his head.

Lauren woke a couple of hours later and got up, used the bathroom before going to find Joey.

'Hey' he said as she sat down next to him on the sofa 'Feeling better?'

'Yes thank you' she said

'I got some more juice it's in the fridge' he told her

'I'll go' she replied 'Do you want one?' she asked him

'Please' he nodded

Lauren got up and went into the kitchen, Joey listened as she opened the fridge and then closed it. His heart stopped when he heard her open the freezer door. He listened hard for the sound of a bottle being unscrewed, but instead heard ice being dropped into the glasses. The freezer door slammed shut and she brought the drinks back through with her. 'Here you go'

'Thank you' he took the glass and took a sip 'Mmm it's good' he said and she smiled and nodded. 'Are you feeling less hormonal now?' he asked her

'Yep' she nodded and she lay her head on his shoulder and watched the football with him.

He knew that there was something on her mind, and he didn't want to push it, he also wanted to ask her a question but didn't know if he should.

'Joey…' Lauren plucked up the courage to tell Joey why she was so upset

'Lauren…' they both said at the same time.

Lauren smiled 'You go first' she told him raising her head

'It's just… I wanted to ask …. You would tell me if you were drinking wouldn't you' he asked her

Lauren blinked at his questions 'Yes of course' she said to him 'I'm not' she shook her head

'Okay' Joey nodded, Lauren frowned at him

'What? Do you think I am?' she asked him

'No' he shook his head 'I didn't say that'

'You didn't have to' she looked at him 'It's all over your face' she said 'Why would you think I was drinking again?' she asked him

'I don't…' he told her 'I'm sorry I asked' he told her he sighed 'Look its just that I found the half bottle of vodka in the freezer and I was worried…'

'What bottle of vodka?' she asked him 'There isn't a bottle of vodka in the freezer' she got up and she stormed through to the freezer and rummaged through it. Joey stood in the door way watching her.

'See nothing' she said

Joey licked his lips and he walked over to the freezer and he checked for himself

'You don't believe me' she sounded hurt and shocked. He pulled out his hand and held an unopened bottle of vodka. He shut the freezer door and he out the bottle down on the work surface. He watched as surprise crossed her face, 'I don't know how that got there Joey' she told him shaking her head. 'I got drunk a couple of nights when you disappeared without a word just before Valentine's day' she told him 'I supposed I could have put it in there then' she admitted 'But I honestly don't remember' she said shaking her head. Joey looked at her feeling conflicted. She picked up the bottle and unscrewed the cap and for a moment he thought she was going to drink it right there in front of him. Instead she poured the contents of the bottle down the sink and tossed the bottle and cap in the bin. 'See, that's how much I want a drink Joey' she snapped at him angrily. Hot angry tears pricked the back of her eyes. 'I thought you trusted me'

He closed his eyes and sighed 'I do Lauren' Joey said 'I'm sorry I ….'

She turned and walked into the bedroom, he could hear her rummaging around and then she reappeared back in the lounge doorway and she threw a pillow and some sheets on the sofa.

'Yeah it sounds like you trust me' she told him tears running down her cheek again 'And I can't believe I was actually considering trying for a baby' she snapped at him 'you can sleep out here'

'You can't kick me out of my own bed' Joey said to her

'Fine then I will sleep out here' she told him.

Joey spent a sleepless night on the sofa. When he woke the next morning, Lauren had already left for college. He checked his phone for messages from her but didn't find any. He dialled her number and it rang three times before she rejected the call. Joey frowned and he knew he was in big trouble.

**AN: Bet you didn't see that coming did ya! **

**R&R as always **

**thanks**


	132. Chapter 132

Unfortunately for Joey, but luckily for Lauren, their schedules over the next 4 days meant that they rarely saw each other. She had a busy College session and Sharon had taken her off the rota at the club, she was up early to go to college and when Joey came home she was already asleep (or in some cases pretending to be asleep) when he came back from working at the club. His pile of sheets and a pillow were back waiting for him on the sofa.

Letting her Branning stubbornness rule her mind she refused to answer his calls or reply to his texts. She had read his texts though not that she would admit it to him if he asked her. The first day he sent her 12, the second day 24 and then third day 32 and the fourth …well her phone ran out of space so she didn't know if he sent her any. The texts ranged from apologetic, to cheesy to romantic to angry and then back to apologetic. Begging her to forgive him.

Every night he left her a little note on her bedside table, telling her that he was sorry and that he loved her. Every morning when he checked the note was gone, she hadn't thrown it away, because he had checked all the bins. So she must have kept it somewhere.

On the fifth day she had just seen her mother and agreed to babysit Oscar as her dad was taking her mother out for their anniversary. Cora had gone dancing with Patrick and Abi had a date with Jay. Lauren happily agreed to babysit and told them to be as long as they liked, if she was asleep on the sofa when they came back she asked them not to wake her.

Lauren was in the Vic with Whitney when Lucy and Rick came in. 'Hi' they said as they sat down with them. Lauren frowned.

'No it's okay, Whitney and I weren't having a private conversation or anything. Please sit down uninvited' Lauren snapped and she got up and went to the bar.

'What's up with her?' Lucy asked Whitney

''I don't know' Whitney said 'All I managed to get out of her was that she and Joey had a big fight 4 days ago'

Lucy turned to watch Lauren at the bar. She saw Alfie give her two cokes and she frowned a little disappointed that she wasn't drinking. Lauren brought the drinks back and sat down and gave one to Whitney.

'We'll get our own shall we?' Lucy said

'Seeings as you weren't invited I'd say yes' Lauren shot back

Nick looked at Lauren and then at Lucy 'Maybe we should sit at another table' he suggested

'You think?' Lauren scowled at him. He got up tugging a reluctant Lucy away from them and sat her at another table.

'That was kind of rude Lauren' Whitney told her 'I thought you and Lucy were friends again?'

'Yeah I know but I don't want her knowing my business with Joey and I don't like Nick' she said shaking her head

'What why not? According to Lucy you were the one that persuaded them to get together'

'Yeah well that might have been a mistake'

'What do you mean?' Whitney frowned at her

'The night at the club, he walked Lucy home and then came back, he got a little drunk and insisted on walking me home and then tried to persuade me to let him sleep it off on my sofa, when I said no, he tried to invite himself in for coffee, I said no again and he tried to kiss me' she told her

'Does Lucy know?'

'No' Lauren shook her head 'I can't tell her that can I? Besides its too late now she's already got involved with him'

'You should have told her'

'Oh yeah that would have gone down well wouldn't it hey? Lucy you know that your ex-boyfriend is now my current boyfriend well your current boyfriend tried to sleep with me' Lauren said

'Yeah I see what you mean' Whitney said 'What did Joey say?'

'I didn't tell him'

'Why not?'

'Because there was nothing to tell. Nothing happened' Lauren told her with a shrug. She glanced up at Nick and saw that he was staring at her 'Urgh… he creeps me out' she said with a shudder.

'Yeah I know what you mean' Whitney said and she picked up her coke and took a drink 'So… are you going to tell me what you and Joey are fighting about or are you going to make play 20 questions?' she asked her

Lauren sighed and she explained everything to her friend about Joey accusing her of drinking, she left out the part about her period and Joey wanting to have a baby.

'And you haven't spoken in 5 days?'

'4, todays the fifth day' Lauren said to her and she picked up her drink and took a sip

Whitney looked behind Lauren and she sighed 'So it probably wasn't a good idea that I told Tyler to bring Joey in here for lunch today because I was meeting you?' she asked her

Lauren looked at her friend, 'Please tell me you didn't' she said

'Sorry' Whitney said and Lauren closed her eyes briefly. She drank half of her coke down and put it on the table and stood up, grabbing her bag

'Thanks for nothing Whitney' Lauren frowned at her and she walked out towards the other exit

'Lauren! Lauren!' she heard Joey calling after her. He frowned and took a sit next to Whitney 'That girl is stubborn!' he snapped

'Sorry' Whitney said softly 'I tried' she told him 'if it's any consolation its not just you she's mad at now. She bit Nick and Lucy's head off when they came in, snapped at me when she left and I'm pretty sure Ty's in for some Branning temper later' Whitney told him.

'I've tried calling her, texting her, leaving her notes but she won't reply' Joey said 'I don't know what else to do' he frowned and ran his fingers through his hair 'I hate this. I hate fighting with her'

'So tell her' Whitney said softly. 'Look she thinks that you don't trust her. So do something to prove that you do' she told him 'don't tell her that I told you this but tonight she's babysitting Oscar' she said 'Tanya and Max are leaving at 7:00pm, coming in here for a drink first'

'Thanks Whit' Joey said.

At 7:00pm, Joey was in the Vic when Tyler walked in 'I thought you were going over to Lauren's parents' Tyler said as he sat down at the bar next to him

'Yeah I am' he nodded 'just waiting for Tanya and Max to come in. I've got more chance of getting in the door if they're not there because she won't want to wake Oscar up' Joey told him

'So what are you planning on doing?' he asked her

'Show her that I trust her' he said 'Show her that I love her and that I miss her and show that I'm sorry'

'That's a lot to do' Tyler replied as Tracy came up to him 'Pint and a white wine please' he asked her she nodded and went to get it 'that's assuming you can actually get in the door'

'Back up plan' Joey said and he pulled out a set of keys. 'Abi gave me the spare set' he told him

'Nice plan' Tyler said impressed 'Unless Abi gets a shot of Branning temper too for helping you.. you know if this goes wrong' he said

'Then I better make sure that it doesn't go wrong hadn't I?' he asked him.

Lucy came in and smiled when she saw Joey 'Hi. Buy me a drink?' she asked him Joey saw Max and Tanya come in

'Some other time' Joey muttered and he looked at Tracey 'I'll just grab my stuff from the back' he told her

'All right Joey' she said

Joey slid off his seat 'Good luck mate' Tyler called after him

'Good luck?' Lucy questioned. Where's he going?'

'Gone to get his girl back' Tyler said looking at her 'Speaking of girls' he grinned as he saw Whitney come in 'Hello babe. You look gorgeous as ever' he said as he gave her a kiss, he picked up the glasses and they took them to a table for two and sat down.

Lauren had just got Oscar to sleep and was about to sit down watch Steel Magnolia's, she had some ice cream and tissues and a can of coke and she pulled the blanket off the back of the sofa onto her lap when she heard a soft knock on the door.

She groaned 'Go away' she huffed as she walked to the door, she peered up the stairs to see if the knock had woken Oscar, she opened the door as quietly as she could and saw Joey there, she started to close the door

'Babe please, let me in and hear me out please' he asked her

She sighed 'I'm about to watch a film' she told him

'Please… I miss you' he told her 'I love you. And I'm sorry' he put the bag he was carrying down on the floor and he pulled out a bunch of pink carnations 'I got these for you' he told her

'It's going to take more than a bunch of flowers Joey' she told him

'I know look, five minutes is all I ask please' he begged her

She closed her eyes for a long time and then when she opened them she took the flowers from him and stepped aside to let him in. 'Five minutes' she told him and she turned and walked into the kitchen, he let a breath and he picked up the bag, closed the door behind him and followed her.

She was putting the carnations is a vase. When she was done she turned and put them on the kitchen table. She glanced at the clock '4 minutes' she said

'I'm sorry I was wrong to ….accuse is a strong word' he started to say

'Two minutes'

'I am really sorry Lauren, that I made you think that I don't trust you' he said to her 'I do and I got you this to prove it' he pulled out a half bottle of vodka from his bag and put it on the table

'What is this a joke?' she blinked at him 'You accuse me of drinking, you don't believe me when I tell you that I'm not and now you buy me a crappy bunch of flowers and a cheap bottle of vodka?' she asked him with a frown 'This has to be a joke right?' she asked him. Joey swallowed this wasn't going the way he had thought it would in his head 'Or is it a test hey? I go back to flat with you and we put the vodka in the freezer and every day you go and check to see if I've opened it?' she asked him 'That's not trust Joey. That's distrust' she told him, she glanced at the clock 'Okay times up you can go now' she told him. 'And you take your ….crap with you' she waved her hand dismissively at the flowers and vodka as she walked out of the kitchen. He groaned and sighed and followed her, catching her as she turned to go into the lounge, he turned her to face him.

'Babe it's not a test' he said to her 'I'm giving you the flowers before they're favourites and when couples argue and it's his fault, he wants to make a romantic gesture' he said to her 'He wants to tell her that he loves her and that he's sorry and that he knows that he made a mistake and he would do anything in the world to get his to forgive him, to give him another chance, and that's what I want Lauren. I want a second chance, because I miss you like crazy Lauren, I hate fighting with you, I hate the fact that we're living like strangers in our own home. I hate sleeping on the sofa, I hate sleeping without you in my arms' he told her

'You've already had a second chance, and a third' she told him. He knew that she was referring to the two previous times before they were together, after they kissed that he took the cowards way out instead of owning up to his feelings for her. 'A fourth chance too' she added softly

'Then please give me one last chance babe' he said to her 'That's all I'm asking for I know I screwed up' he told her 'and I don't care what you do with the Vodka. You can pour it down the sink, give it away, leave it here, take it back to the flat, drink it….make me drink it, which would be very messy very quickly' he said to her and he saw her fight back a smile. 'I don't care what you do with it… all I care about is getting you back' he told her 'I love you' he said and he reached for her hand and he pulled her gently towards him 'I'm sorry…. Please babe' he asked her 'I swear to god I won't doubt you again.'

'Why did you?' she asked him, she refused to move another inch, so he held her hands in his 'Doubt me?'

'I don't know. It was just something that Lucy said when we were waiting for you for lunch at the café near college'

'Lucy?' Lauren asked him with a frown, she pulled her hands out of his and folded them across her chest 'and what exactly did Lucy say to make you doubt me?'

'She said that you used to be good at hiding when you were drunk. That you would hide bottles all over the house, fill a water bottle with vodka so every one would think you were drinking water all day when really you were ….'

'Getting drunk' Lauren said and she nodded and she looked down at the floor 'So let me guess. You checked the cupboards at home, you checked my water bottle in my college bag and you checked the seal on the bottle in the freezer?' she asked him

'Yes' he nodded deciding to be honest

'Well' she said and she looked at up at him 'What did you find?'

'Nothing' he said 'I found nothing' he told her quietly. 'You're not drinking'

'Told you so' Lauren replied

'Yes you did' he told her 'I …I know that I hurt you, and it's killing me babe. I'm so sorry' he told her 'I need you… please …. I miss you' he told her 'I promise I'll never doubt you again' he told her 'You could be standing in front of me drinking and if you told me you weren't, I'd believe you' he told her

Lauren smiled at his logic and she shook her head 'I missed you too Joey' she told him softly

'Yeah?' he asked her and she nodded. 'and the flowers are beautiful' he told him

He shook his head 'The flowers are pretty. You are beautiful' he told her. He stepped towards her and watching her carefully, he slid one hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him, his other hands tucked her hair behind her ear, before cupping her cheek, she closed her eyes as she felt his breath on her lips, he kissed her tentatively, his lips barely touching hers. The spark between them ignited, they both felt it. Lauren stepped closer to him and he kissed her a little firmer, he felt her slide her arms around his neck and her mouth opened under his, she gave a tiny moan when his tongue slid into her mouth. Her hands clutched at his hair and he groaned and he picked her up and carried her into the lounge and lay her down on the sofa, moving over her.

The light clicked on breaking them both apart, they both blinked as their eyes adjusted to the light, when they could see they found Max and Tanya standing over them. Lauren and Joey didn't move. They couldn't move. One of Joey's hands was underneath her t-shirt and had been until a few moments ago, kneading her breast and teasing her nipple, causing her to writhe and moan beneath him. His other hand was safely draped behind Lauren's head.

Lauren had one arm around Joey, whilst one hand was down the front of Joey's jeans and boxer shorts, gripping a very aroused part of his anatomy, and had been until a few moments ago, being stroking him firmly, bringing him to the point of climax.

'Hi' Lauren said 'Oscars not made a sound, been as good as gold' she said

'Yeah? Is that what he's in the kitchen getting himself a drink?' Tanya asked her

'Oh' Lauren raised her head to look towards the kitchen, 'I didn't. We didn't hear him' Lauren said sheepishly

'Mm yeah we can see that you're a little distracted right now' Max said and he looked at Joey and then at Lauren. 'On the plus side you're both fully clothed' he continued and he glanced down at the floor and saw Lauren's discarded bra 'Well almost' he said 'Even if all hands aren't actually in plain sight' he said. Lauren grinned at him. Oscar came into the room with a juice box.

'Lauren and Joey are making sex' Oscar announced

Tanya nodded and she picked Oscar up 'Yep so we see' she said 'Come on you, let's get you back to bed hey? You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow don't you hey?' she said as she walked up the stairs with him.

'Going to the auction with daddy aren't you?' he asked Oscar

'Yep' Oscar's little voice travelled down the stairs,

Max turned his attention back to Lauren and Joey, Joey had put his head in the crook of Lauren's neck as he tried hard not to concentrate on the fact that her hand was wrapped around his cock in a vice like grip. He tried to move his hands from the front of Lauren's shirt, but his thumb brushed across her nipple, he stilled instantly when he felt her squeeze his cock and her hand jerked a little, he bit his bottom lip to stop himself from moaning and begged silently with whoever was listening in the skies above not to let his impending orgasm get closer.

'Well I suppose I'd better go to bed and you two had better….. well … okay … carry on then' he said 'Thank you for babysitting Oscar' he told them both and he walked to the door 'And we may or may not see you in the morning' he said and he closed the door. Lauren and Joey both giggled and she started to stroke Joey again, he groaned loudly and she shushed him. Joey pushed up her t-shirt and his mouth closed over her nipple as the door opened again 'Light on or off?' Max said. Lauren and Joey both moaned softly 'Off it is' Max said and he flicked the light off and shut the door quickly and headed up the stairs. The bedroom door shut loudly as Joey reached his peak.

Ten minutes later, Tanya and Max could hear hushed whispers and giggling as the couple were obviously trying to make it out of the house. They heard Lauren moan loudly and Joey giggled and shushed her. The front door shut quietly a few moments later as the young couple headed home.

Max and Tanya both lay in bed wide awake, thinking about Lauren when she was a baby.. through her years as a toddler as a little girl, as a teenager and then Tanya shot up 'How about a night cap?' she asked him

'Yep' he said.

They made their way down the stairs, Tanya found the vodka and max grabbed the nearest thing he could find two coffee mugs, Tanya poured until the vodka was gone.

**AN: So this is the last chapter for tonight ….. hope you all enjoy**

**Back tomorrow…**

**R&R as always**


	133. Chapter 133

The next morning Joey woke up he rolled and tensed certain that the movement should have meant that he was on the floor, but then he realised that he was back in his own bed, he smiled and he reached for Lauren but found the bed empty. He pushed himself up on to his elbows and he looked for her. Then bathroom door was open and he could see she wasn't in there. He got up and walked out through the lounge and he found her in the kitchen. She was wearing his shirt from last night and was sitting on the windowsill, her legs drawn up under her, a cup in her hand and she was staring outside. Joey glanced at the kitchen clock. It was 6:30pm.

'Hey' he said as he walked over to her 'It's Sunday morning, come back to bed' he told her.

'In a minute' she murmured absently

'I thought maybe you could help me paint the ceiling later… I was thinking purple?' he said

'Yeah sure' she replied

'What are you looking at?' he asked her and he walked over to her and looked out of the window. He saw someone putting boards around the shop across the street and he frowned 'Someone's brought that?' he asked her

'Yep' she nodded and she took a sip of coffee and pulled a face, it was cold.

'Have you see who?' he asked her

'Lucy Beale' Lauren told him and she slid off the windowsill and turned to look at him 'Joey put some clothes on' she told him with a frown. 'anyone who looks up at the window can see you' she put more water in the kettle, tipped the cold coffee away and then put a spoonful of coffee in her cup, she got the milk from the fridge and poured some in her cup too.

'What's she going to turn that place into?' Joey wondered from the window 'and how much is paying for Sunday workers'

'I don't really care' Lauren said 'just as long as every time I look out of that window I don't see her face' she told him 'Or Nicks' she picked up the kettle and poured water into her cup, stirred and took a tentative sip. She frowned the coffee was cold 'We need a new kettle' she told him

'Or you can turn it on at the plug' Joey told her 'Just a suggestion' he moved away from the window and he walked over to her 'You seem a little distracted this morning, are you regretting last night?' he asked her. She turned to look at him.

'No' she shook her head 'Of course not' she told him, she licked her lips 'you know I think I am going to go back to bed' she told him.

Joey stared after her. He frowned and he followed her. 'Talk to me Lauren, what's on your mind?' he asked her as he climbed back under the covers.

She sighed and she swallowed 'I've been thinking' she told him, she played with her engagement ring, twirling it around her finger and then sliding it up her finger as though she was going to take it off before pushing it back on again.

'About what?' Joey asked her 'The engagement?'

Her eyes shot up to his and he saw that he was watching her playing with the ring. 'No' she said and she stopped fiddling with it. 'Why have you thought about…'

'No' Joe said stopping her midsentence. I still want to marry you Lauren. That hasn't changed. The way I feel about you hadn't changed. It'll never change' he told her softly, he reached out and he took her hand in his 'Okay. You never have to worry about that' she smiled at him but he could see it didn't reach her eyes, and he knew he would have to do everything in his power to convince her that it was true, that he trusted her, he would have her to get trust him again. 'So what have you been thinking…'

'That bottle of vodka in the freezer' she said to him 'Its been bugging me'

'Why?' he asked her

'I don't remember buying it.' She told him 'And I wouldn't hide it in the freezer if I did' Joey looked at her 'I know that this sounds crazy, but before we had the locks changed…. I could swear that when I came home that sometimes someone had been in the apartment. Looking through our things. The picture that we have by the door, a few times it had been moved and was sitting on the coffee table' she told him

'I saw it there a couple of times too, I thought you moved it?' she shook her head

'No' she told him 'I didn't. I thought you did', he shook his head. He licked his lips.

'So you think someone had been in the apartment and moved a few things about and put a vodka bottle in the freezer?'

'I know how it sounds. It sounds crazy' she told him 'I always used to keep my bottles in my bedside table at home. Under my underwear. Then when I was going out it would be in my bag, I never used to hide bottles of vodka around the house…if Oscar found them….' She trailed off as she thought about it. 'Whenever I used to have vodka in the pub I'd never have ice in it. I don't like vodka cold' she told him 'But I know someone who does and I know for a fact that she keeps hers in the freezer'

'Who?' Joey asked her

'Lucy' Lauren said

'Lucy?' he echoed. 'You think that Lucy broke into our flat and ..'

'No I didn't say that she broke in. You left your keys in the café, she gave them to Whitney. She said that she called after you but you didn't hear her…. She could have time to get a copy cut' she told him 'Then she could let herself in as she pleased' she looked up at him 'I know that this sounds really far-fetched Joey' she told him 'Look when did you start having doubts about me'

'I don't have doubts about you. Or us' he said

'About me drinking. When did you have doubts about me drinking?'

'After I spoke to Lucy in the café' he said to her

'Lucy again' Lauren told him. He looked at her and he thought about it for a while

'Okay let's say that you're right… what does Lucy have to gain?' he asked her 'I mean all she's done is make us stronger'

'Are we?' Lauren asked him quietly.

'Yes' he nodded. 'Come here' he said and he pulled stretched up to give her a kiss. 'You and me…we're unbreakable' he told her 'And she has a boyfriend now remember? Nick'

'I don't like him' she said to Joey

'Why?' he asked her, she chewed on her bottom lip 'Lauren did something happen?' he asked her

'Not exactly' she said to him 'He just… he was flirting with Lucy all night, he walked her home and the he came back, to keep me company' she said 'And then he said that he would walk me home before he went back to the B&B, he asked if he could sleep on the sofa, then he asked if he could come in for a coffee… and then he tried to kiss me' she told him

'He did what?' Joey frowned angrily

'I saw it coming and I went inside the flat. I had no intention of letting him in'

'I know that' Joey told her 'I'm not angry with you'

'But then the next time I see him, he's all over Lucy again. He keeps giving me these looks…. It's really creepy. Whit noticed too' she told him

'Has he tried anything since?' Joey asked her

'No' she shook her head 'I avoid being alone with him' she told him 'So does Whit'

'I think me and Nick need to have a little chat' Joey said

'I didn't mean not to tell you. I was going to… it's just when I saw you walk into the pub I forgot about it completely. I only remembered it again yesterday. I told Whit'

'Maybe you should tell Lucy' he said to her 'Let her know why kind of guy she's with'

'How would that look Joey? Another one of her boyfriend's prefer me over her, settles for her?'

'I see your point' he told her 'Well if he tries anything else or makes you feel uncomfortable in any way you tell me okay?' he asked her

'I promise' she nodded

'And I think that there has been someone coming into the flat' he told her 'But we've changed the locks now' he told her 'And if it makes you feel better we can add another one' he said to her 'But I think you might be barking up the wrong tree with Lucy' he said softly 'And even if you're not if you're right. I don't want her. I want you' he said softly 'I thought I'd proved that last night'

'Mmm, you tried your best' she teased him

'Maybe I should try again them?' he asked her

'Maybe you should' she giggled as he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down in the bed.

**AN: So Lauren has put two and two together and come up with 4. Joey's not convinced that Lucy is behind anything but he does believe Lauren when she tells him that someone has been in the flat…. **

**Everything is clearly not back to the way it was with the couple. Will it ever be the same again? Will they both really trust each again? **

**Read on to find out.**

**R&R as always and thank you for all of your reviews. They make my day. **

**Laters…..**


	134. Chapter 134

**AN: Just so you know I've lost the plot with the timeline and now no longer know which month we're on so for those of you who know exactly what month and day of the week the story is at the moment ….humour me! Thank you**

A few weeks later and Joey felt as though things between him and Lauren were getting back to normal. Although she had avoided going out to the Vic whenever he mentioned it and as a result they had spent a lot of time at home, which in Joey's mind wasn't a bad thing.

Lucy, however, was not pleased. She arranged an impromptu lunch at the Vic, Joey was hesitant at first when she mentioned it to him when she brought him a coffee that morning in the club. But when she offered to pay, he felt that he couldn't really say no. Lucy told him that she was going to text Lauren and tell her the time, so she could come after she finished at College.

Of course when he arrived, Tyler and Whitney were already there but apparently Nick was sick so it would be just the four of them for lunch and they were waiting for Lauren.

What Joey didn't know was that Lucy had text Lauren but told her the time was 45 minutes later than she arranged with the others. After 20 minutes Lucy persuaded everyone to order and that Lauren was obviously just running late and that when she got there she could join them.

When Lauren walked in at the opposite side of the bar she saw the four of them laughing and joking, their plates half full. Lauren frowned and pulled out her phone and rechecked the message that Lucy had sent her and then checked the time. She had the right time. She looked up at them again and then moved out of their view, not that they were looking at her. They were having too much of a good time. Lauren knew that she should go over there, but she didn't know if she would be able to keep her cool. She felt things between her and Joey were still a little bit shaky and she didn't want to do anything to spark another fight. So instead she turned and walked out of the pub, unaware that she was seen by Lucy.

She went home and she tidied the flat.

When Joey came back she had the kitchen table and floor covered with sketches.

'I thought you were coming for lunch babe?' Joey asked her 'Lucy said she text you'

'Yeah she did. I just got out of college late, by the time I would have got there I figured you'd all nearly be finished' she lied 'so I just came home' she said glancing up him.

Her phone beeped beside her and she picked it up and looked at it. She frowned.

'What is it?' Joey asked her

'I just keep getting weird text messages from an unknown number' Lauren told him

'Maybe your number is a digit off from someone elses' he suggested

'Maybe' Lauren replied with a sigh

'Any way Ty suggested we meet up for a drink in the Vic later you up for it?' he asked her. She sighed and she looked at all the papers around her and then she looked at Joey.

'I kinda want to stay here finish this off' she told him with a small smile. Joey sighed and he walked carefully over to her.

'Come here' he held his hand out to her, she took it and he helped her walk through the tiny gaps she had left between piles of pictures. 'What are you doing anyway?'

'Sorting the pictures out, I thought I could take them to show granddad' she told him

'Yeah, he'd like that' he said when she was free from paper.

'I know, that's why I'm doing it' Lauren replied with a grin. Joey led her to the sofa and he sat down and he pulled her onto his lap.

'I missed you at lunch today' he told her softly

'Did you?' she asked

'Yeah of course I did' he said 'and you've been working hard at College and we've been working hard at the club, what with Sharon and Jack away again. 'And we've been cooped up in the flat for the past few weeks and I have enjoyed that and if I could I would quite happily stay that way. But your friends are missing you' he told her 'Whitney said you haven't spoken to her a week, Tyler said you haven't replied to any messages… we can't stay cooped up in forever' he said to her 'so please come to the pub with me tonight'

'I don't know Joey..'

'Please …everyone is forgetting what you look like'

'Will it just be you, me Whit and Tyler?' she asked him

'Yes' Joey nodded 'Just the four of us'

Lauren sighed and then she nodded 'Okay'

'Yeah?' he asked her

'Yeah' she nodded and she gave him a smile.

'Good' he smiled and he gave her a quick kiss. 'Now is there anything that I can to help with the pictures or do you want to talk about the wedding?' he asked her

'What wedding?' she frowned at him

'Ours' he frowned back at her 'you do remember me. I'm Joey. Your fiance' he told her

'I thought you looked familiar' she said.

'Thank you' he said 'I'm not sure I should tell you now…..'

'Tell me what?' Lauren perked up

'Well I spoke to my mother and she said that she would like to put some money towards the costs of the wedding' he told her 'And apparently she's seen the perfect dress for you and wants us to go visit this weekend …when I say us I mean she mainly wants to see you, she wants to give us a cheque for the wedding and show you the dress and I thought maybe we could tell her that we've set a date?' he asked her

'But we haven't set a date' she said to him

'I know I thought that we do that now' he told her

'You want set a date?' Lauren asked him

'Yes don't you?' he asked her

'I hadn't really thought about it' she told him 'Besides I thought we were eloping' she said and she got off his lap and she went back into the kitchen and started to gather up her pictures. Her phone beeped again on the floor and she picked it up

"**Your boyfriend looked as though he was enjoying his lunch without you today"** she read the text. It beeped again and the next text read

"**Wonder what he would say if he knew you were there but didn't stay?" **

She frowned and she put the phone down on the floor. It beeped another four times and she ignored it. It beeped again and she turned the phone to silent.

Lauren sighed and she put her pictures back in the box and picked it up, grabbing her phone and she took it into the bedroom.

Curiosity got the better of her and she picked up the phone and she looked at the other messages.

One was from Lucy asking her why she didn't come for lunch asking her if everything was okay between her and Joey. The next two were from Whitney begging her to come out tonight, another was from Tyler doing the same. She smiled and shook her head and sent them both a quick text back. The fifth text was from the unknown number. She stared at it for a minutes before she opened it

"**Not set a date yet? Can't be that keen to marry you can he?" **

Lauren licked her lips and she walked back into the lounge and she looked at Joey.

'So do you have a date in mind?' she asked Joey

'I thought you didn't want to talk about it' he replied as Lauren straddled his lap and he put his hands on her thighs

'I didn't say that' she told him

'No? You got up and walked away' he told her

'If you don't want to talk about it …' she started to get up but he caught her waist keeping her in place.

'We need time to organise things, the dress, the venue, the reception, the honeymoon'

'I thought you already had the honeymoon planned?' she said resting her hands on his chest

'Oh I do babe' he said with a grin 'Every last detail' he pulled her closer to him and she smiled

'Do any of these details involve any activities outside the bedroom?'

'The shower, the kitchen, the balcony, the beach…..' he trailed off and he kissed her softly. 'And I think I know the perfect day' he said to her

'Okay I'm listening' she said to him

'Your birthday' he told her

Lauren blinked at him 'You want us to get married on my birthday?' she asked him

'Mmhmm' he nodded, his eyes fell to her lips 'One year from the day I proposed and you made me the happiest man alive' he licked his lips 'So what do you think? Will you marry me on your birthday?'

'Yes' she nodded and she grinned at him 'Yes' she pulled him into a kiss, he turned and pressed her down against the sofa.

'You want a cheeky preview of the honeymoon?' he asked her

Lauren grinned at him 'Yes I do'

**AN: So Lauren and Joey have set a date 1 year from the day he proposed to her, on her birthday. Aw romantic Joey…**

**Who is texting Lauren and why didn't she tell Joey? **

**Evil Evil Lucy lying about the time of lunch so she could spend time with Joey! **

**R&R as always back later. **


	135. Chapter 135

Lauren stretched and wriggled closer to Joey and she smiled 'So that's what I can expect on the honeymoon?' Lauren asked him

'Yep and then some' he told her

'Then I look forward to it' she giggled and she reached up and she kissed him, he held her hair out of her face and she smiled at her

'I love you' he told her 'You know that right?' he asked her, he held her gaze and she nodded

'I know' she replied, she bent down and kissed him softly. She swallowed and chewed on her bottom lip. She knew that she hadn't told him that she loved him since that night at her parent's house when they caught fooling around on the sofa, she knew he wanted her to say it, needed to hear it, but she wasn't sure that she could… she loved him, she wasn't saying that she didn't, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to tell him what he already knew, so she glanced at the clock 'What time are meeting Tyler and Whit?'

'5:00pm' he told her 'Why?'

'It's 4:45pm' she replied and she leapt of bed and rushed to the bathroom, locking the door behind her

'No hey wait babe!' he called after her.

They walked towards the pub at 5:25pm, Joey slid his hand inside hers and she looked down at their joined hands and she smiled. She grinned to herself as she had an idea and she pulled him passed the pub and down the alley way beside it, she pushed the door shut and she pulled him closer to her by the front of his jacket.

'What are you up to hey?' he asked her laughing, she pulled him down into a kiss, pressing herself up against him, he groaned softly and pushed her against the door, kissing her back hungrily. He felt her hands at the front of his jeans and he gently pulled away 'We can't babe… no condoms' he told her

She frowned and pouted 'Don't look like that' he said shaking his head 'Babe stop' he said laughing 'I can't take you anywhere can I hey without you attacking me…' she pulled him back to her lips and then she slowly ended the kiss, she turned and she took his hand and opened the door and tugged him out from the alley with a giggle

'I can't believe you just did that to me!' he said as Patrick and Cora walked by on the other side of the street 'I feel violated and dirty' he said grinning

'Shut up idiot people will hear you'' she laughed at him, they walked into the Vic giggling and holding hands and Whitney smiled.

'What do you want to drink babe?' Joey asked her

'Surprise me' she said

'You may regret that' he teased her

She let his hand go and she walked to Tyler and Whitney. They both stood up and hugged her and she sat down.

'Good to see you out' Whitney said to her

'Yeah Joey said I've been missed' she said 'I just didn't feel like going out' she told them

'Why what's wrong?' Tyler asked her 'You and Joey are okay aren't you?'

She looked at Joey at the bat, and he turned as if he could feel her eyes on him and he winked at her

'Yeah… yeah we are' she nodded and she licked her lips 'Listen Whit, can I take Tyler out tomorrow night?' she asked her

'What like on a date?' Whit asked her

'No, Just .. we haven't been out for a while just the two of us and I thought it would be nice' she said

'I'm up for it' Tyler said 'It has been a while' he nodded and he looked at Whit 'Do you mind babe?'

'No I have stack of work to do for my exam so I could use the time to study' she told him 'You can have him, but I want him home by 10pm'

'Got it' Lauren said 'I'll meet you at the restaurant at 7:00pm?' she asked hin

'Yep fine' he nodded 'I'm looking forward to it'

'Looking forward to what?' Joey said as he sat down and put a glass of coke in front of Lauren and his orange juice in front his seat, he sat down

'You're girlfriends just asked me out on a date' Tyler told him and he picked up his beer and took a drink

'Oh did she now?' Joey asked and he looked at Lauren 'Like that is it? Use and abuse me in the alley and then ditch me for some other guy?'

'Yep' Lauren grinned at him

'So what am I supposed to do when you two go out?'

'Oh I don't know maybe the housework?' she said to him

'Great, thanks' Joey said 'So do Whitney and I need to be worried about this?' Joey teased, Whitney smiled

'Oh they're having a torrid affair' Whitney said 'It's fine' she told him

'I thought we were having a torrid affair?' Joey looked at me with a frown 'I'm a little hurt now' he told her

'Aw poor baby' Lauren said squeezing his cheeks together with one hand and then she kissed him softly. Joey put his arm around her and smiled when he felt her snuggle up against him.

'Shall we share out news?' Joey asked her, she nodded

'What news?' Whitney asked excitedly

'Lauren and I have set a date' he told them 'Were getting married on Lauren's birthday'

'One year from the day you proposed … oh that is so romantic'' Whitney sighed and she looked at Tyler 'Don't you think that's romantic?' she asked him

'I guess' he nodded, Whitney rolled her eyes and she took a drink.

'Joey's very romantic' Lauren said softly and she looked up at him, he kissed the tip of her nose and tweaked her chin with his fingers. She sighed 'I love you' she told him softly, she watched as his eyes brightened and a broad smile spread across his face.

'I know' he nodded 'I love you too' he replied and he drew her into a kiss, they both deepened the kiss.

Tyler cleared his throat 'Er hello…people feeling really uncomfortable here' he said

Joey gently ended the kiss and she grinned 'Sorry.. I just can't help myself' he told her

**AN: So Lauren and Joey seem to be back on track, having fun together having fun with their friends. **

**Why does Lauren want to take Tyler out? **

**Well keep reading to find out. **

**Back tomorrow .. hopefully. **

**As always R&R **


	136. Chapter 136

The four of them walked out of the Vic together and Tyler and Lauren stopped to talk 'So what shall I wear tomorrow?' he asked her 'Is it a formal dale, informal, causal?'

'Just wear what you like Tyler' she giggled at him 'You are such a dickhead'

'Charming' Tyler said 'How do you put up this with?' he asked Joey 'Foul mouthed little madam'

'Yeah It kind of turns me on' Joey grinned at him

'Figures' Tyler nodded with a smile

'7:00pm?' Tyler asked Lauren and she nodded and smiled.

'7:00pm' she repeated

'All right then, I'm going to take my gorgeous girl home' Tyler said and he out his arm around Whitney

'And I'll take home my foul mouthed little madam' Joey grinned

'Hey!' Lauren exclaimed and she slapped him on the arm

'Correction, my abusive foul mouthed little madam' he said

'Thanks for tonight, I really enjoyed myself' Lauren said

'Yeah me too' Whitney said 'We'll have to do it more often, Just the four of us'

'Yeah we will' Joey nodded

'Night' Lauren called as Tyler and Whit walked away. They heard Lauren scream and turned to see that Joey had flung her over his shoulder and was spanking her.

'Those two are crazy' Whitney said

'She's crazy about him' Tyler said with a smile.

Joey didn't put Lauren down until they reached their bedroom, she was still laughing when he shrugged his jacket off, toed off his shoes and grabbed her by the ankle pulling her towards him. 'I'm thinking you should finish what you started in the alley' he told her 'unless you want another spanking?'

'Is that right?' she asked him as she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down towards her. 'Maybe I'm too tired. Maybe I have a headache' she said

'Maybe you're talking too much and maybe you have too many clothes on' Joey whispered against her lips.

'You should probably take them off'

'Probably' Joey whispered.

He stripped her quickly and then rid himself of his own clothes. Lauren had already reached into the drawer and pulled out a box of condoms and dropped them on the bed, before she pulled Joey back into her arms, they were both already very turned on and Joey was eager to be inside her, he groped for the box whilst they were kissing and frowned, he broke the kiss and turned his head. The box was empty.

'What's wrong?' Lauren asked him

'The box is empty' he told her, he rolled away from her and knelt on the bed and opened his drawers. There was another 2 empty boxes, he pulled them out and shook them and rummaged in his drawer. 'We appear to have a slight problem' he told her

'Please don't tell me what I think you are going to tell me' Lauren said and she covered her face with her hands.

'We're out of condoms babe' he told her.

'No! Joey!' she groaned and she sat up. 'Are you sure?' she asked him 'I thought you got some more'

'No I said we needed some more, I thought you were going to pick some up' he looked at her

'You'll have to go out and get some'

'Where from? It's 11:15pm, the Minute Mart closed 5 minutes ago'

'The Vic. In the men's toilets'

'I can't go out like this' he said gesturing to his erection.

'It's up to you babe. If you want sex.'

'Does it look I don't want sex?' he asked her

'Doesn't look as though you'll be getting any' Lauren replied, she climbed off the bed and grabbed her robe and pulled it on 'not tonight anyway' she told him.

'Where are you going?' he asked her as she walked into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her picked up toothbrush and cleaned her teeth, she spat in the sink and rinsed her mouth out and went back into the bedroom. Joey was lying on his back his eyes closed, his hands over his head. Lauren had a sudden thought and she went to her college bag and she routed through it. In a zipped pocket in the side she found a little ziplock plastic baggie, she pulled it out and walked over to the bed and dropped it on Joey's chest. He jumped and looked and saw a mix of condoms in there.

'Where did you get this from?' he asked her as he sat up she slipped off her robe and she climbed on to the bed.

'When I took Abi to the clinic, they had all these samples lying around and I grabbed one' she told him with a grin.

'You are an amazing beautiful smart girl'' he told her and he grabbed her face and he kissed her, he opened the baggie and shook out the contents. 'Flavoured, glow in the dark or extra ribbed?'

'Joey!' she exclaimed 'Just pick a bloody condom' she told him as she moved forward and kissed him.

He groaned and she straddled him, and she watched him stroking himself before he tore open a condom and slipped it on. He looked up at her when he was done and he raised his eyebrows at her. She moved forward and slowly impaled herself on him. She frowned and stilled and Joey moved his hands to her hips,

'What's wrong babe?' he asked her

''Nothing' she smiled at him as she started to move. Joey groaned loudly as she kept her pace slow and steady despite his attempts to speed her up. He flipped then suddenly so she was on her back and he was hovering above her and he started to thrust into her hard and fast, her moans of pleasure spurring him on. He caught her hands and linked his fingers through them and pushed them over her head as worked them both to their peaks. Lauren exploded around him first and he shuddered as she clenched around him. He called out her name as he came and then collapsed on top of her, he rolled quickly onto his back taking her with him and she lay sprawled across his chest, he gently brushed her hair away from her face and she looked up at him and then he moved up and she kissed him softly.

'I love you Joey' he told him softly 'I know I haven't told you that lately…' she said and she sighed.

'Its okay' he told her 'you were upset with me'

'I was' she nodded and she shifted so she was have laying on him and half laying on the bed. 'We're okay right?' she asked him quietly

Joey smiled at her 'Yeah we're okay. Come here' he drew her into another kiss.

**AN: So Lauren and Joey are okay…how long will it last?**

**Will Lauren tell Joey about the texts? **

**Find out by reading more….**

**R&R as always **

**Laters**


	137. Chapter 137

Lauren woke to the smell of eggs and toast, she sighed and stretched and she climbed out of bed, pulled on Joey's shirt and she wandered through to the kitchen, Joey was putting a plate on a tray, she was wearing a pair of grey sweat pants and was topless, she smiled and flooded her arms across her chest and leant against the wall watching him. He walked to the fridge and bent over to grab orange juice out of the fridge, Lauren titled her head to one side and admired the view as his sweatpants stretched across his butt.

Joey stood up and turned and saw her there 'Oh! You were supposed to be in bed' he told her

'I was but the smell of food woke me up' she replied. I would have said something but… I was ogling'

'You can do more than ogle babe' he said and she shook her head

'I like watching you make me breakfast, especially topless'

Joey crossed the room 'Me topless or you?' he asked her taking her hand and pulling her closer to him, she smiled

'You' she said and she slid her hands over his muscled chest, over his shoulders and stroked the back of his head, his hands moved to her waist and he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him, he carried her back into the bedroom and lay down on the bed. He kissed her softly at first, meaning to tell her to stay here until the brought her breakfast, but he couldn't help deepening the kiss, he nipped her bottom lip gently as she pushed his tracksuit bottoms down with her feet, their tongues duelled and he caressed between her thighs, she gasped as he stroked her clit and he moved over her and she could feel his length slowly entering her, she moaned softly. 'Joey….' She whispered softly, he teased her, pulling out before he was even half way inside her and repeating the action a few times, 'Joey.. please .. I want you' she whispered softly. Joey took pity on her and pushed all the way inside her, and then stilled, his tongue traced her lips before they covered hers. He began to move within her and she arched her back, meeting his thrusts. Joey kept the pace slow and steady and Lauren groaned 'Joey please…' she whispered

'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day' he whispered in her ear 'It should be savoured not rushed' he told her softly, he kissed her neck 'Otherwise a couple of hours later you'll just be hungry again' he nibbled her neck gently with his teeth as he played with her breast, she moaned again softly.

'Oh god Joey' she screwed her eyes tightly shut as she felt her peak building 'Joey' she ran her fingers over his back as he moved his lips back to hers, swallowing her cries as she came apart around him, he followed close behind her. He lay his head on her shoulder as his breathing came back to normal and he pressed a kiss to her collar bone. Lauren ran her nails through the hair on the nape of his neck and she smiled. He kissed her chin, her nose and then her lips softly.

'I will never get tired of doing that' he told her softly, 'We're really good at that' he looked at her

'Well we have had a lot of practice' she smiled at him 'So we should be' he kissed her again 'Since you've had your breakfast, can I have mine now please? I'm starving'

Joey grinned at her 'All right come on then' he told her.

Later that night Joey was at R&R, when Lauren walked in. His face lit up when he saw her.

'Hello you' he said when he reached her at the bar 'I thought you were meeting Tyler?'

'I am' she told him and she leant over the bar to kiss him 'I just came to give you these' she told him and she put a box on the bar. He looked at it and picked it up.

'You've brought me condoms?' he asked her

'Yep' she nodded

'Okay I don't get it' he frowned

'You will' she replied, 'I'll see you later' she told him and she gave him another quick kiss before she walked out of the club, leaving Joey confused and bemused.

**AN: Just a short chapter. Last one for tonight. Sorry its crappy! **

**Back tomorrow if I have wifi. **

**R&R as always**

**Laters **


	138. Chapter 138

Tyler looked at Lauren as she played with the food on her plate and he frowned at her

'Okay, what's on your mind?' he asked her putting his knife and fork down.

'What?' she looked at him

'I know you Lauren… I know when there's something bothering you. You want to talk about it?'

'I do but I'm not sure that you are the person I should be talking to it about' she told him

'Is this about you and Joey?' he asked as he took a sip of wine

'Kind of … not really … no' she frowned

'O…kay' Tyler said 'You and Joey are okay now thought right?' Lauren nodded 'Because he was really cut up over the fight you two had'

'He told you?'

'Yeah he mentioned it to me' Tyler nodded 'You two don't fight often?'

'No. We have disagreements and shout at each other but we've never had a fight like that before' Lauren told me 'Did he tell you he accused me of drinking?'

'Yes he told me that and he told me how guilty he felt afterwards when he saw the hurt on your face' he said 'That he tried to talk to you to apologise but you wouldn't let him near you'

'He didn't trust me. He didn't believe me' Lauren said 'I didn't buy that bottle of vodka' she shook her head

'He knows that' Tyler said to her 'Look you and Joey seemed happy last night, you've obviously sorted things out, I mean you've set a date for your wedding'

'Yeah we have' Lauren smiled 'and we're going to his mums at the weekend, apparently she's found the perfect dress for me'

'Oh is that a good thing?'

'Yeah we talked about the kinds of thing I wanted over the phone and she said she would look around for me so … she probably has found the perfect dress' Lauren nodded.

'So if you and Joey and are okay… and the wedding is still on…. What's wrong?'

'If I tell you this. You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone else'

'How long did I keep you and Joey secret for?' he asked her

'Good point… but you can't tell Joey that I've talked to you about this' she said to him

'I promise' he nodded

Lauren sighed and took a breath, her phone beeped in her pocket and she pulled it out and looked at it. It was a text from an unknown number.

'Aren't you going to read that?' he asked her

'I'm not sure I want to' Lauren replied 'I've been getting weird texts from an unknown number and I mentioned it to Joey and he said it was probably meant for someone with a similar number to mine. But now I'm not so sure'

'What makes you say that?'

Lauren turned the phone round so that Tyler could see

"**You and Tyler look cosy. More than just friends?"**

Tyler frowned and scanned the restaurant but couldn't see anyone that he recognised, he looked back at the phone and saw the rest of the messages.

'You were at the pub when we having lunch?' he asked her 'Why didn't you come over?'

'I didn't want to interrupt' Lauren admitted and she looked down 'I thought that was the time that we were meeting, but you'd clearly been there much longer… I think Lucy deliberately told me a different time'

'Why would she do that?' Tyler frowned, Lauren looked at him 'What you still thinks she's after Joey?'

'I don't know… she was the one that put doubts in Joey's mind about me drinking' Lauren said 'She's brought the shop opposite our flat…I don't know. Maybe I'm being paranoid. But now these texts….I don't know what to think'

'What does Joey say about them?'

'I haven't shown him' she admitted to him

'Why?'

'I don't know' Lauren shrugged 'I don't want to get into another fight.. Not when we've got things back to the way they were'

'You've got to tell Joey. If Whit was getting these I'd want to know' he told her

'Do you think I'm being crazy thinking its Lucy?' she asked him

'She was flirting with him at lunch the other day' Tyler said 'And Nick was supposedly ill so he didn't come either' he told her 'I don't even think Joey noticed that she was flirting with him'

'Exactly what I was afraid of' Lauren said 'I can't confront her because I have no proof that it's her.

'Change your number' he said 'get rid of all the old numbers you don't use and if you get the texts again then you know it's someone you've given the new number to. Or if you upgrade your phone you can block unknown numbers' he told her

'My phone is looking a little old. I'll get a new phone after College tomorrow.' She smiled at him 'Thanks Tyler'

'Anytime' he said 'I still think you should show these to Joey' he told her

'IF I get any more on the new phone I will' she promised him.

'Good' he said 'Because if you don't I will' he told her 'oh Joey's just text you' Tyler said and he handed the phone back to her.

'He wants to see me' she smiled

'So you want to go then?' he asked her and she nodded

'Yeah'

'I'll get this' he told her with a smile

'We should do this again' he told her as they walked towards the club

'What you be my agony uncle?' she asked him

'No.. well yes if that's what you need, but I meant go out, just us two. It's been a while since we've done that. We used to do it all the time before you and Joey got together'

'Yeah we did' she nodded 'and we should, make it a regular thing. Whit won't mind, neither will Joey'

He walked her to the club and Tyler looked at her 'Do you want me to stay?' he asked her

'No I'll be fine, I may even stay and help out behind the bar if they're busy'

'Okay, well then come here you' he said and he pulled her into a hug. 'You need to talk at all. You know where I am okay?' he asked her

'Yeah thanks.. You too' she smiled back.

She watched him leave and smiled and then headed down to the club. She sat down at the bar and waited for Joey to see her. When he did he told Sharon he was taking his break and he came over to Lauren and he grabbed her hand 'We need to talk' he told her and he led her into the office and closed the door.

**AN: What does Joey need to talk to Lauren about?**

**Should she tell Joey about the texts or do as Tyler says and see if they stop? **

**Thank you for all the reviews, and all the guest reviews. I can't reply to you but I do read them all and thank you for reading and taking the time to respond. **

**As always R&R **

**Back later…**


	139. Chapter 139

Once inside the office Joey pulled the packet of condoms out of his pocket and he put them on the table. Lauren looked down at them and then at Joey.

'Are you upset?' he asked her I'm really sorry Lauren…..'

She blinked at him and she shook her head 'No I'm not upset' she told him softly 'We both forgot'

Joey nodded and he licked his lips, he pushed his hands into this pockets 'What are you going to do?' he asked her 'There is the morning after pill'

Lauren nodded 'Yeah I know'

'Maybe you should go back on the pill' he told her 'So this doesn't happen again'

'Yeah I could do that' Lauren replied, she looked down briefly and then looked back at him 'What do you want me to do?' Joey blinked at her, he licked his lips 'I mean I could make a doctor's appointment tomorrow, get the implant, the morning after pill too. Or we could just wait and see…...' she left the sentence hanging

'Are you saying what I think you're saying?' he asked her

What do you think I'm saying?' Lauren asked

'That you want to have a baby with me?' Lauren smiled and she nodded 'Say it'

'I want to have a baby with you' she said. Joey cross the room in three strides and he picked her up causing her to squeal and he spun her round and held her tightly, he set her on her feet, still keeping her close and he kissed her, a long hard kiss

'You want to have a baby with me' he repeated 'Oh god Lauren you have no idea how happy this makes me'

'I think I do' Lauren replied with a grin

'So we'll wait and see?' Joey asked her

'Yeah we do'

'And in the meantime?' he asked her and she saw his eyes drop to the box of condoms

'Well I guess we won't be needing these anymore' she said and she picked up the condoms and tossed them in Sharon's bin.

'We're going to keep trying?'

'Yes' Lauren nodded 'We may have done it already..'

'Oh god Lauren' he said and she grinned and he hugged her

'But there is one condition Joey. I don't want anyone to know that we're trying to get pregnant' she told him 'If… when it happens, we'll tell people then okay?'

'Okay' he nodded with a grin unable to contain his excitement. What changed your mind?' he asked her

'I love you' she replied simply 'and I'm not scared anymore, of being a mother' she shook her head

'I can't wait for us to have a little baby of our own, you are going to be a fantastic mother babe'

'I hope so' she said smiling shyly 'We already know you'll be a great dad so..'

'I am going to be the best dad in the world ever' he told her 'I have another 3 hours on my shift' he told her with a frown 'I'm on my own. Marcus called in sick otherwise we'd be on our way back home now to start trying'

'How about I stay and help you? And we both call in sick tomorrow?' she suggested 'We could spend all day trying?' she suggested softly

'I'd say that the third best thing you've said tonight' he told her with a smile and he pulled her into a kiss, she deepened the kiss and he groaned against her 'Are we really doing this?'

'We're really doing this' she nodded. He moved forward to kiss her again she wriggled away from him and ducked under her arm 'And in case we haven't already succeeded, the back office in the club isn't where I want to find out that we conceived our first baby' she told him 'So we should get back to work' she said opening the door

'First baby?' he said almost to himself with a grin as he followed her.

**AN: Lauren and Joey are trying for a baby! **

**How does everyone fell about that?' **

**Is Lauren right to want to keep it quiet? **

**Is Joey going to be able to keep his excitement at the prospect of becoming a father contained or will he spill the beans? **

**Our couple are going strong.. how will Lucy reacts when she sees them together again with a renewed strength? Is she finally going to accept that Joey is really not interested in her?**

**Well whilst you ponder those questions and no doubt the many more that you have had, I will thank you all again for reading and reviewing. So many of you are enjoying the story so thank you**

**Back later. Unless the WIFI doesn't work and then I won't be back until the weekend! **


	140. Chapter 140

Over the next month, Lauren and Joey's relationship had gone back to the way that it had been before he accused her of drinking. They were both more than a little disappointed that Lauren wasn't pregnant, but both were certain that it would happen soon.

She had changed her phone a couple of days after she spoke to Tyler and that led to a conversation with Joey about the texts. He was concerned that they were clearly from someone that knew her and he was also concerned that Lauren didn't seem to be too worried about them, telling him that there were more of an annoyance than anything else. The texts stopped after she got her new phone.

They had been to see Oliver's new son, Richard. Lauren couldn't seem to put him down and the baby, even though only a few weeks old seemed to settle with her and like being held by her. Joey couldn't wait until it was his baby that she held in her arms.

Sarah had shown Lauren the dress that she found and Lauren had tried it on and she fell in love with it instantly, telling Sarah that it was perfect. Sarah had also given Lauren a cheque for £10,000 to help with the wedding costs. Lauren had deposited it into their joint bank account on her back from college one day.

Lucy was annoyed that Lauren had got a new phone that blocked unknown numbers and she had to rethink her game plan. She couldn't stand seeing them together, so happy, the way that Joey obviously doted on her, worshiped the ground that she worked on. Lauren could do nothing wrong as far as Joey was concerned. Lucy knew that she would have to up her game but she wasn't sure how.

The next few months passed and as each month passed and Lauren wasn't pregnant she would grow and more disheartened and more and more upset. She knew that each month Joey was disappointed too, and yes she knew that he didn't blame her, and always told her that they would have better luck next month. But Lauren felt as though she was letting him down and each months when she either had her period or took a test she burst into tears at the result.

Five months before the wedding she was 10 days late and so certain that she was pregnant. She had a huge grin on her face all day at college, she planned to buy a test on her way home, but when she felt the familiar cramps and when she checked in the toilets she was distraught to find out that she wasn't pregnant. She stopped in the shop on the way home but it wasn't for a pregnancy test. Lauren went back to the flat knowing that Joey wouldn't be back until 6pm. She got a glass out of the cupboard in the kitchen and she pulled out the bottle of vodka and she unscrewed the cap and she poured herself a large glass. She looked at it and closed her eyes, her mouth watered in anticipation of the taste of the vodka. She took a deep breath and she picked up the glass and held it to her lips. Lauren knew deep down that this wasn't the answer, she put the glass down and she felt the tears sting her eyes. She pulled out of her phone and she dialled Joey's number. It rang and rang before going through to voice mail.

'**Joey it's me, I need you…please call me when you get this or come home… please?'** she left a voice mail.

The phone beeped to let Joey know that he had a voice mail. In the pub, Lucy picked up the unattended call and she looked at it, she listened to the voicemail and she smiled to herself. Lauren sounded really upset over something. And she knew what an upset Lauren did. She deleted the voice mail and then deleted the missed call and put the phone on silent and put it back on the bar. Joey came back from the men's room and headed to the door.

'Joey!' Lucy called out 'Phone!' she picked it up and held it out to him

'Oh thanks' Joey said 'I was expecting Lauren to call' he said

'I saw her earlier' Lucy told him 'I was up near the college. She's gone out with some friends. She said she was going to text you'

'Oh' Joey frowned 'I haven't got anything. I'll call her' he said and he started to dial her number

'She looked like she was having a good time. Look… I bet the stress of the wedding arrangements is getting to her. She could probably use a little fun time'

Joey nodded 'Yeah she has been getting pretty stressed about that. And a few other things' he said thinking about the baby they were trying to have. 'I guess she'll call if she needs me, she's probably forgotten to text me or something.'

'Can I buy you a drink?' she asked him, Joey hesitated and she looked at her

'Is everything okay?' he asked her

'No not really' Lucy said to him 'but if you're busy….' She turned away from him

'I'll have a coke' he told her as he put his phone in his jacket pocket

'Are you sure?' she asked him

'Yeah, come on I'll grab a table and you can tell me what's wrong' he told her

Over the next hour Lauren tried to call him another 6 times but got no reply. She wondered where he was and she frowned, her phone beeped a few minutes later and she saw a text from Lucy.

'**Having a nice drink with Joey ….. he's been very attentive to me tonight. Broken up with Nick so am very upset'** Lauren read **'Not even mentioned you once, he's been ignoring your calls…'**

Lauren didn't read anymore. She deleted the texts and she picked up the glass and downed the contents. Over the next 45 minutes she had another 2. She tried Joey's phone again and it went to voice mail for the seventh time. She grabbed her bag and she stormed over to the Vic. She walked in and she saw Joey sitting with Lucy, his arm around her as she sobbed in her arms. Her blood boiled and she walked up to the bar and she ordered a neat double vodka. Alfie gave her the drink and she picked it up and drank it down and ordered another one. He gave it to her again and she turned to look at Joey and Lucy. Joey glanced up and saw Lauren standing there. He saw the angry and hurt look on her face and she walked over to them, Joey pulled his arm away from Lucy, Lauren took that as a sign of guilt.

'Lauren' he said softly, he saw the tear stains on her face and he frowned 'Baby what's wrong….' He asked her suddenly concerned.

'Don't' she said 'as if I can't see for myself' she spat at him angrily

'Lucy was upset' Joey said and he glanced at her

'Lucy's a bitch she deserves to be upset' Lauren replied angrily.

'Lauren!' Joey frowned at her 'That's not a nice thing to say'

'That's right stick up for Lucy' Lauren said, she took a drink from her glass, Joey looked at the clear liquid and he swallowed, he knew that wasn't water in the glass. The panic and concern he felt when he first saw her returned

'What's happened?'

'Like you care' Lauren snapped at him she downed the vodka and she walked back to the bar, Tracy served her again, Joey went over to her, leaving Lucy watching them, a sly and hopeful smile on her lips.

'Of course I care' he said softly 'why are you drinking? What's happened?'

'Maybe if you answered your phone you'd know' she snapped at him angrily, 'I needed you and instead you're here comforting Lucy' Lauren said, she picked up the glass and Joey put his hand on her wrist

'Why don't we go home and we can talk about it?' he asked her softly

She shook her head 'I want to stay here' she said

'Babe please…. I was just … Nick broke up with her' he told her she was upset' he pulled his phone out of his pocket and he saw the six mixed calls from her

'Let go of me' she told him

'You don't need this' he told her softly

'You think I don't need this?' she asked him 'you have no idea how much I need this, the pressure with college, the wedding, from you…. I can't do this anymore Joey….I don't want to do this anymore' she told him

'Let me take you home hey?' he asked her softly as Tyler and Whitney came in.

'I don't want to go home I want to have fun with my friends' she told him 'I want to get drunk

'Lauren please…' he pleaded with her

'I said let me go Joey!' she snapped at him angrily

He reluctantly let her go and she raised the glass to her mouth

'Please don't drink that' he asked her quietly

'Or you'll do what?' Lauren asked him 'Tell me Joey?'

'Please' he said again. She drained the glass and put it down on the bar. Joey closed his eyes and he rubbed his face with his hands.

'This is me Joey' Lauren said to him 'If you don't like it …'

'I don't' he replied. 'This isn't the girl that I want to marry'

Lauren looked at him and she slid her engagement ring off and she put it on the bar next to him 'Then don't' she replied and she turned and walked out of the pub.

**AN: Not really much I can say after that chapter.**

**Is this the end for Joey and Lauren? **

**Keep reading to find out. **

**Almost at the end folks! **

**R&r as always and thank you for all your reviews! **


	141. Chapter 141

Joey blinked and he picked up the ring.

'Joey?' Whitney asked him 'What was that about?'

'She's drunk' Joey said with a frown.

Lucy grinned to herself and she got up, unaware that Tyler had seen her smile, she plastered a look of concern on her face and she came over to Joey. She put her hand on his arm

'Joey, I'm sorry' she said to him 'What happened?' she asked him

'I have to go' Joey said 'I have to go after her' he almost pushed Lucy over trying to get passed her. He went to the flat and he could hear noise coming from the bedroom. Lauren had a suitcase on the bed and was throwing clothes in it. Joey was certain she had just thrown one of his hoodies he used for jogging into the case. He stood by the bed watching her, 'What are you doing?' he asked her

'You want to be with Lucy so much then go' she said the anger evident in her voice

'I don't want to be with Lucy' Joey frowned at her 'Look I'm sorry I didn't get your calls, I must have switched my phone onto silent' he said

'That's not what Lucy said' Lauren replied 'She told me that you were ignoring the calls'

'My phone was in my pocket' he told her 'She couldn't have known that you were calling. I didn't know that you were calling'

'She sent me a text telling me that you were ignoring them'

'Show me' Joey told her

'Well I can't I've deleted it before I came over to the pub' she moved round to his bed side drawer and opened it and grabbed a handful of stuff and tossed it towards the case.

'Lauren stop!' he said, he came into the room 'Stop!' he said again, he grabbed her arms and she twisted out of his grasp and moved around to the other side of the bed, he followed her 'Lauren!' she moved away from him again and went into the kitchen and she picked up her glass and refilled it. Joey followed once again and he saw the bottle and the glass. He walked over to her and he picked up the bottle and he poured the rest of it down the sink and tossed the bottle in the bin. He took the glass from her and tipped that down the sink too.

'What you think that's gonna make me stop?' Lauren asked him 'I'll just go out and get some more' she told him with a frown, she walked towards the door, grabbing her bag and keys

'Talk to me Lauren' he asked her 'Please … don't walk out of that door'

Lauren paused her hand on the door handle, she felt bile rising and she dropped her bag and keys and she flew through to the bathroom, dropped to her knees and she threw up noisily into the toilet basin. She heard the tap running, her hair was gathered up and a cool flannel was placed on the nape of her neck. She gagged and reached and threw up again, tears were rolling down her face. She felt his hands rubbing her back softly. They left briefly and then a glass of water was put down beside her on the floor. When she was certain we wasn't going to be sick again she took a mouthful of the water and rinsed her mouth out and spat it out. She flushed the toilet and closed the lid, she put the glass down, as she slumped sideways off her knees, Joey lifted her carefully and he carried her through to the bedroom and he sat down on the bed with her, she cried against his chest.

'Ssh' he whispered softly 'Let's get you into bed hey, sleep it off?' he asked her and she nodded

Joey stripped her down to her underwear 'What do you want to sleep in?' he asked her, she shrugged 'Are you okay like this or do you want a t-shirt? She nodded. He reached into the suitcase and he pulled one out and he unhooked her bra and took it off and he slipped it off, he dressed her in the t-shirt and then she took a deep breath. 'Come on' he said and he stood up and pulled back the covers and he placed her gently in the bed. He covered her and he knelt down beside her, she looked at him and he saw a tear trickle over her nose, he reached out and he brushed it away with his thumb. He kissed her softly on the forehead 'Get some sleep okay? We'll talk in the morning' he told her softly. He got up and he picked up the suit case

'Don't go' she whispered

'I'm not going anywhere' he told her softly. He put all the clothes away that she had packed and put the suitcase back in the wardrobe. He licked his lips and he got some painkillers and some water and he put them on her bedside table. He saw that she had fallen asleep. He sighed and he went into the lounge and he sat down on the sofa.

When Lauren woke the next morning she saw the water and painkillers and she took them. She got up and she went into the bathroom. Joey heard her lock the door and the shower started. She was in there for an hour. When she came she pulled on her robe and she went into the kitchen. She made a coffee and she sat down on the sofa. A few minutes later Joey came in, he was wearing his robe too. He took a breath and he reached out, plucked her coffee from her hands and took a drink.

'What happened last night Lauren?' he asked her 'To make you want to drink?'

'It doesn't matter' she said 'I ruined everything' she looked down at her hands, her fingers automatically went her ring finger but it was empty.

'Nothing's ruined' he told her softly

'Yes it is' she said 'I gave you the ring back'

'I know' Joey told her 'I have it here' he said and he pulled it out of his pocket and he looked at it. 'Do you want it back?' he asked her

She nodded her head 'Yes' she told him softly.

'Well that's good to hear' he said and he liked his lips 'Come here' he held out his hand to her and she gave him her left hand. He slid the ring back on. 'Back where it belongs' he told her softly. He sighed and he looked at her 'You got your period didn't you?' he asked her

Lauren nodded and burst into tears, covering her face with her hands, 'I'm sorry' she told him 'I thought I was pregnant. I was 10 days late and I thought that this time…. She trailed off 'I feel like I'm letting you down'

'You're not' Joey told her 'Oh babe…' he moved closer to her and pulled her into his arms 'Hey don't cry' he said kissing the top of her head 'Ssh, please. Look at me' he said, he waited patiently until she did 'You are not letting me down okay? I don't want you to ever ever think that' he told her firmly 'Why didn't you tell me you were putting yourself under this much pressure?' he asked her 'That you felt I was?'

'I don't know…I just… I really want a baby and I can't do it'

Joey brushed the tears away from her cheeks 'Look. You know that I want a baby too don't you?' he asked her, she nodded 'I think we should stop trying for a while' he told her 'The wedding is 5 months away, you're busy at College, you're under a lot of stress already, as well as feeling as though you are a failure when you don't get pregnant each month, which you're not' he told her softly. 'We wait until after the wedding' he told her softly 'Then we can start trying again'

Lauren licked her lips and she looked down 'I don't want to wait that long' she told him shaking her head.

'Okay a couple of months then?' he suggested. 'I'll buy some condoms today' he told her, she nodded

'I'm sorry I got drunk' she told him 'I'm sorry I made a scene at the pub. I love you Joey'

'I love you too' he told her 'And it's okay. You don't have to apologise' he said 'I'm sorry my phone was on silent. You know I would have been here for you otherwise … you come first. You are the most important person in my life' he told her 'Never forget that okay?' she nodded and sniffed 'Good' he said softly and he moved forward and gave her a soft kiss. 'Now no more taking off your ring okay?' he asked her 'From now on that stays firmly in place'

'I promise' she told him with a small smile.

**AN: Again, another chapter where I don't really need to say much. Joey's figured out she's not pregnant and that she has too much to deal with in her life at the moment so the baby making plans are on hold… for now. **

**Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed. Your comments really mean a lot. **

**Back later**

**As always R&R.**

'I think you need to have this back' Joey told her and he held out her ring.


	142. Chapter 142

'Why don't you let me do the stock take at the club today?' he asked her 'You should stay here rest' he told her

'I have a hangover Joey not terminal cancer. I don't need to rest' she snapped at him and then quickly apologised 'Sorry. I just…. I just want to be with you' she told him

'Joey smiled at her and titled her chin with his fingers and he pecked her on the lips 'until death do us part I hope' he replied 'Come on we need to get a move on' he told her

'Okay' she said 'I just need to go to the bathroom' she replied

'Okay' he nodded.

Twenty minutes they were down in the cellar, Lauren had the clipboard and Joey was counting and she was writing down what he told her. They had finished in a couple of hours and they made their way up the stairs, both of them carrying some mixers to restock the bar with. Lauren put hers down on the floor and she looked up at Joey.

'Are you okay?' he asked her

'Yeah' she nodded

'You want a hug?'

She nodded again and she moved into his arms and she sighed and he rocked her from to side to side gently, resting his head on top of hers. 'We're okay Lauren' he told her reading her mind 'I love you and we are getting married in five months' he said 'That hasn't changed' he said softly 'So stop worrying about it okay? You had a drink, you got drunk, it happened. So we get over it and we move on together' he said

She nodded 'Okay' she replied and she looked up at him, he kissed her softly. 'I love you too Joey' she told him quietly

'I know' he smiled at her 'Now get back to work!' he said with a grin. He let her go and he slapped her lightly on the ass and she smiled.

When they had finished it was lunchtime. Joey locked up the club 'Are you hungry now?' he asked her

'A little' she nodded

'Do you want to go home or do you want to go to the Vic?' he asked her

'Can we go home?' she asked him

'Yeah we can I'm not sure that we have anything in to eat though. I forgot to shop yesterday' he admitted to her

'That's okay' she said softly 'Vic then?'

They walked in and Lauren took a seat. Joey ordered them both a salad and two cokes. Lauren's mobile beeped.

'**So you and Joey broke up?'** she read** 'I'd say that I'm sorry but I'm not. Won't be too long until he's back in my bed'**

Lauren turned her phone off and put it in her pocket as Joey brought the drinks over. He sat next to her 'I was going to tell you mum called yesterday, she said that she's found some bridesmaid dresses that you might like. She's going to get Olivia to send you pictures to your email' he told her and then he frowned 'Am I allowed to see the bridesmaid dresses?'

'No' she shook her head 'You have to wait until the day to see them' she told him softly.

'I can't wait' he told her 'Is there anything that I can do to help you with the arrangements? Take some of the pressure off?' he asked her 'You have the list on your phone don't you?'

'Yeah but'

'Let me see. And I'll pick a couple of things to do'

Lauren swallowed 'I haven't done the flowers' she said

'Don't you have to match them to the dresses or something?' Joey asked 'Besides you're probably having carnations' he told her softly.

'Maybe I'll surprise you' she said and she picked her up drink and took a sip

'You constantly do' he told her with a smile 'So are you going to give me your phone?' he asked her

'Look I can handle it Joey' she told him 'I just had a blip yesterday that's all .. it won't happen again' she told him

'I know that' he told her softly 'I want to help Lauren. Please?'

She sighed and she reluctantly pulled it out of her pocket. He raised his eyebrows seeing that the phone was off 'And again I'm surprised that your phone is off. You never turn this off' he told her and he pressed the button to turn it on 'Why is this off?' he asked her

'No reason' she said 'I just didn't want to talk to anyone today' she told him

The phone beeped as Joey was looking for her notes page. It beeped 5 times signalling she had text messages 'Someone's popular. Do you want to look at these?'

'No not really' Lauren shrugged 'I'll read them later' she said 'I'll be back in a minute I'm going to the bathroom' she told him.

'Okay' he watched her go and then he went to her message screen, his finger hovered over the button, wondering if he should open the text messages or not. He decided against it. The last thing he wanted to do was to make her think that he didn't trust her and was going through her phone. He went back to the list and he looked through the jobs she still needed to do. She came back and sat down.

'So what have you picked?' she asked him leaning into him

'Well how about I take care of the catering and the cake?' he asked her 'I'll get some quotes and some menus and we can choose which one we like?' he looked at her and she opened her mouth to speak 'Yes I know you want a chocolate mousse on the dessert menu and a chocolate wedding cake' he said

'So the catering is your job' Lauren nodded

'What about the venue for the reception?' he asked her 'Do you want the Vic or the Club, or somewhere else?'

'I haven't really thought about it' she admitted

'Well then how about I take care of that too?' he asked her and she nodded

'Have you got a best man yet?' Lauren asked him

'I was thinking about asking Tyler' Joey said. 'Do you think he'd be interested?'

'Yes I think he'd be really thrilled' Lauren smiled at him 'I know I would be'

'Well that's another job off the list' he said 'Wedding rings, that can come off too, I've already done that'

'You have?' Lauren frowned surprised. The food was delivered and Lauren picked up her fork and took Joey's onions and gave him her cucumber.

''Yeah I kind of picked them when I brought your engagement ring' he said 'Mum's picking them up in a few weeks'

'So what's left to do?' Lauren asked him

'Well the honeymoon is already taken care of' Joey grinned at her and Lauren grinned back at him too 'So we have transport and invitations, seating plan once we have the venue. You have the bridesmaid dresses and the flowers to do. You're designing the invitations aren't you?' he asked her

'Yeah I haven't really done much about it yet. I suppose we should get a move on the with the reception venue so we can send them out' Lauren told him

'Are you happy with the church?' he asked her

'It's what mum wants' Lauren said with a shrug

'What about you what do you want?'

'I want my mum at my wedding. She wants me married in a church Joey' she told him

Joey liked his lips and he turned in his seat to look at her 'Look at me' he said and she did, he cupped her face in his hands and looked her directly in the eye 'I am not marrying your mother babe. I am marrying you. I want our wedding day to be everything we both want it to be. No compromises, no second best. So tell me the truth do you want to get married in the church?' he asked her

'No' she shook her head 'Not that one' she told him

'I knew you preferred the other one' he said 'I'll sort that out and I will deal with Tanya' he promised her and he gave her a soft kiss. 'So that's all the wedding tasks taken care of' he told her 'Now we can eat' he smiled at her. Her phone beeped another 4 times as he passed it over to her. She didn't even look at it. She slid it into her pocket and she started to eat.

**AN: Joey's helping with some of the wedding planning. **

**Lucy's texting Lauren directly now… why hasn't Lauren told Joey? **

**Did Joey make the right decision not looking through her phone? Will it be a decision he regrets? **

**Find out later. **

**Thank you for all your reviews. To all the guest reviews, I can't reply to you individually, but thank you for your feedback on my story. Glad you are enjoying it! **

**R&R as always **


	143. Chapter 143

Joey left Lauren at home to go and do the grocery shopping. She pulled out her phone and she looked at the text she had received. There was no more from Lucy, the other texts were from Whitney and Tyler asking her if everything was okay. She sent them both a text back telling them that she was fine and that the wedding was on. She also apologised for the scene she made in the Vic and promised that the four of them would go out soon.

She got her laptop out and she lay on her stomach on the bed and started to design the wedding invitations. She was so lost in her work that she didn't hear Joey come back into the flat or even walk into the bedroom.

'These are great babe' he told her as he sat down on the bed. She made a meeping sound and went from prone to a sitting position, almost throwing herself off the edge of the bed in the process. 'Sorry!' he bit his lip to stop himself from laughing at her

'Joey! You scared me!' she told him with a frown, she put her hand over her chest 'I didn't hear you come in'

'I'm sorry' he said again having the decency not to look so amused. She moved closer to the laptop and looked at the designs

'Do you really like them?'

'Yeah I do. They're personal and cheap' he grinned at her, her face fell 'I didn't mean cheap…tacky I mean cheap price wise because my gorgeous, talented girlfriend designed them' he told her quickly. She licked her lips and looked up at him with a smile

'Good save' she told him

'Thank you' he said 'I've got something for you' he told her 'Come with me' he got up and held out his hand

'What is it?' she asked him

'Come and see' he told her, she took his hand and she moved across the bed on her knees and then got off and she followed him into the kitchen. She looked at the groceries he had laid out on the table, a whole chicken, potatoes, asparagus, carrots, onions, chocolate, cream, and a few other things.

'Er..thanks' she said and Joey grinned slipping his arms around her waist

'I thought that I could cook you dinner' he told her softly 'like I did when we were first getting together?'

'When?'

'Tonight'

'We have to work tonight'

'Not anymore, I ran into Sharon, she and Jack and Marcus are going to cover the club. So you and I have a free night' he told her 'date night. I want to do something nice for you, for us' he told her

'It sounds perfect' she told him with a smile and she turned around in his arms and looped her arms around his neck 'Thank you' she told him and she moved forward and kissed him, the kiss grew and Joey walked her back towards the lounge and the sofa. He manoeuvred them so she was underneath him.

'Joey we can't' she whispered softly

'I know' he replied as he trailed his lips along her throat and neck 'I just want to make out with you for a while' he told her in between kisses. 'We haven't done that in a while either' he said. He pulled back to look at her and he brushed her hair away from her face 'We've been so focussed on trying to get pregnant that we've lost sight of us a little. Not that we don't have great sex because we do, the best' he told her and he nudged her nose and kissed her gently 'But we don't do enough of this' he said giving her another barely there soft kiss. 'Have I told you recently how much I fancy you?' he asked her

'No' she said shaking her head softly

'Well' Joey trailed his lips along her throat, biting and nipping bluntly with his teeth 'I fancy you ….' He paused to lick and suck his favourite spot on her neck and was rewarded with the little gasp of pleasure she always gave when he paid attention to it 'like crazy' he continued 'You turn me on so much baby' he whispered against her ear as he kissed her earlobe, she scrapped her nails lightly over his back and he felt her foot drag over his calf and her hand moved to his ass and she ran her hand over it caressing him through his jeans. He moved his lips to hers, giving her playful, light and gentle kisses 'And I am crazy in love with you' he told her between kisses. Lauren squeezed Joey's ass and then slid her hand into the back pocket of his jeans, as Joey deepened the kiss.

That night, they had dinner and then settled on the sofa, Joey couldn't seem to stop touching her as they talked about their upcoming wedding.

The next day Lauren was walking towards the tube, Lucy stepped out of the Café putting the bins out and she heard Joey call Lauren's name. Lauren stopped and turned as Joey jogged over to her.

'You forgot these' he said as he held out her phone and her keys and her purse.

'Thanks. Where did I leave them?'

'In the fridge' he told her with a smile, Lauren shook her head with a laugh

'I swear I am going mad' she told him

'You have a lot on your mind that's all' he said and he tucked her hair behind her ear 'You'd better go you're going to miss your train. I'll see you at the club later'

She nodded and she turned to go and then smiled and turned back to him and reached up and gave him a kiss 'Love you Joey' she whispered against his lips

'Love you too babe' he replied. He watched her walk away with a grin on his face. He turned to go and he saw Lucy 'All right?' he asked her

'You're back together then?' Lucy asked him

'Didn't really break up' Joey said 'Just a Lauren Branning drama queen moment' he told her 'Is Ain around?'

'Yeah he's at home why?'

'Just need to talk to him about something' Joey told her 'See you later' he said and he headed towards Lucy's house.

An hour later and Joey grinned as he mentally crossed another 2 wedding tasks off the list. He headed towards the club to see Sharon, today he was on a mission.

**AN: Little fluff chapter for you. Next chapter is a time jump again but only a month! Sorry! **

**Back later and as always R&R **


	144. Chapter 144

The wedding was now 4 months away. Joey had sorted the catering, changed the church and arranged the venues for the wedding reception. Lauren had done the flowers, the invitations, the seating plan and had picked the bridesmaid dresses. And Joey had asked Tyler to be his best man, Tyler was as Lauren predicted thrilled to be asked. Lauren had sent out the invitations and everything seemed to be on the right track.

Lauren was meeting him in the club at lunchtime, having been with his mum for the past couple of days trying on the wedding dress and having the bridesmaid dresses fitted, he kept looking at the stairs waiting for her to arrive. Sharon smiled as she came out of her office to see him check his watch again.

She will be here when she gets here.' Sharon told him 'She's only been gone for what 2 days?'

'3' Joey replied 'It feels like months' he admitted, Sharon smiled shaking her head

They heard footsteps on the steps as someone hurried down them, they saw Lauren and then two from the bottom she lost her footing and end up on her hands and knees. She flushed bright red as she scramble to her feet

'Quite an entrance' Sharon smiled at her 'Are you all right darling?'

'Yeah I'm fine' Lauren nodded

'Always wanting to be the centre of attention hey?' Joey smiled as she walked out from behind the bar, she grinned at him as he crossed over to her and he picked her up and spun her round 'Babe I've missed you' he told her

'I missed you too' she held him tightly

'Are you sure you're okay?' Joey asked her

'Yeah just bruised confidence and knees' she told him, he pulled her to look at him and he looked at her

'Did you have fun at mums?' he asked her 'Everything sorted?'

'Yep everything's sorted. Whitney and Alice and Abi love their dresses' Lauren told him with a smile

'And yours?'

'It's perfect' Lauren told him 'I lost a little weight so it doesn't quite fit as snuggly but mum says that we can do some last minute alterations if we need to the day before so..' she shrugged.

'Or we could fatten you up a little' he said 'How about dinner out tonight?' he asked her

'Nice restaurant. Nice food, nice company' he said and he looked at her face, her cheeks were red, her eyes were brighter, although he could see that there was a little worry there still, but not as much as there had been when she left. 'A little dancing and then a little …you know what?' he lowered his voice

'I've been gone for 3 days and I only get a little you know what?' she teased him

'Okay a lot' he said with a smile as he kissed her, he meant for the kiss to be light, brief knowing that Sharon was watching, but he had missed her so much, even though they spoke on the phone six or seven times every day as well as sent numerous text messages. His tongue sought entry into her mouth and she gave a small breathy moan as he deepened the kiss. Lauren had missed him too. She felt her desire and lust for him ignite and she resisted the urge to jump up and wrap her legs around his waist.

Over the past month they had barely had sex at all, they had both been busy and Joey had actually told her a few times when she had tried to initiate sex that he was too tired. So she had stopped trying, so when he tried to initiate sex, Lauren did the same, she was "cutting her nose off to spite her face" as her Nan, Cora would say.

'Okay okay.. before I witness something I really have no desire to, why don't you two take off?' Sharon interrupted them 'Joey I'll finish up here' she told him

'Are you sure?' he asked her breaking the kiss reluctantly

'Yep go' she nodded. Joey let Lauren go but took her hand in his.

'Thanks' he smiled at Sharon.

They walked hand in hand back towards their flat and Lauren told Joey about Olivia and baby Richard, he glanced at her a few times and saw how animated she was when she talked about the baby, she had also taken loads of pictures to show Joey and a couple of videos. He felt a pang of regret that Lauren hadn't fallen pregnant when they had been trying and he wondered whether he should broach the subject of trying again. He decided he would play it by ear and when they looked at the pictures and videos later he would see what kind of vibe she was giving off and decide if that was the right time to discuss the matter again.

They walked passed Lucy's new chip shop. Joey glanced in and saw Lucy he waved at her and grinned holding up Lauren's hand, as if to show her that she was back. Lauren didn't even look towards the shop.

They got back to the flat and Lauren shrugged off her jacket and draped it over the back of the sofa as she headed towards the kitchen. 'Where are you going?' he asked her

'Thirsty' she replied. She got a glass and poured in some orange juice and drank half of it down. 'You did the shop' she said

'Yeah I knew you were coming home today so I went out and got all your favourites' he told her

'Even those chippie crispy thingies'

'Even those' he told her 'and I thought after dinner at the restaurant we could come back here for dessert' he said as he leant against the door way between the lounge and the kitchen 'I made mousse' he told her

'You did?' Lauren asked him putting her empty glass down on the side and walking towards him

'Mmmhmm' he nodded 'I know how much you like my mousse' he said, she walked passed him which surprised him a little after her actions at the club a few minutes earlier. He followed her into the bedroom and she picked up one of her bags and carried it into the bathroom, unzipped it and dropped it into the laundry basket.

'We'll have to go the launderette' she said softly.

When she went back to the bedroom, Joey had moved the rest of the bags to the floor and had pulled back the covers on the bed. 'We don't have to do that now' he said as he snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him 'The washing can wait.. I can't' he told her as he pulled her into a kiss. The empty bag that she was holding dropped to the floor with a soft thud as she wrapped her arms around him and tugged at his t-shirt.

They couldn't get each other's clothes off fast enough, Lauren was fairly certain she heard something ripping, but didn't know if it was hers or Joey's. They kissed hungrily and passionately and Lauren turned them and walked Joey backwards towards the bed, she pushed his to sit down and then reached into her bedside table and pulled out a condom. She wrapped her hand around his engorged cock and stroked him firmly a few times and then rolled the condom onto him with practised ease and then pushed against his chest, he lay back on the bed and she moved over him and without any further preamble she lowered herself onto him in one swift movement. Joey groaned loudly and shut his eyes.

'Oh god Lauren!' he exclaimed, she placed her hands on his chest and used him for leverage as she raised herself up and lowered herself back down on him, he was inside her so deeply and she moaned softly, Joey's hands moved to her thighs and he gripped them tightly as she moved at a faster pace, they both knew that this was going to be quick, they both missed this side of their relationship. Joey sat up as he heard her gasps and moans get closer together, letting him know that she was close, he wasn't quite there yet, she put her hands on his shoulders, his hands moved to her hips and he slowed her pace down and pulled her harder against him and on her downwards thrust he thrust upwards slightly. He let her hips go and she kept the slower pace, Joey's hands moved to her back holding her against him. He kissed her neck and sucked the skin into his mouth sucking hard.

'Joe…. Joey….' she breathed close to his 'Oh god Joe….' She was coming apart around him and she moved his hands to her hips and on her downward thrust he held her in place so that she could move, he picked her up and he carried her to the bedroom wall and he pressed her back against it and he held her as he started to thrust inside her hard and fast. 'JOEY!' she cried out as she came around him, he followed straight after, thrusting inside her until he had emptied. The stood there for a few minutes and then when he was certain his legs weren't going to give way, he carried her back to the bed and withdrew from her, he pulled the condom off and tied the top and dropped it onto the floor. He moved over her again and he kissed her cheeks, lips, eyes, nose, chin and then her lips again. Long moments later, Joey leant over and retrieved another condom from her drawer.

**AN: Joey and Lauren get their sex on … it's been a while. **

**Anyway enjoy thank you all for your lovely reviews, make me grin loads.. thank you to all the guest reviewers too. **

**As always R&R. **


	145. Chapter 145

Joey looked up as Lauren finally came out of the bedroom after having spent several hours getting ready for their date tonight. His jaw almost hit the floor. And rush of pure lust flowed through him. She was wearing a red fitted dress; that came to just above her knees, and left nothing to the imagination, it clung to her curves like a glove. On her feet she wore high heeled black shoes, her hair hung in curls passed her shoulders and she wore minimal makeup. She looked stunning. She looked at him a little nervously.

'You look… stunning' he said to her when he had recovered.

'Thank you. Alice and Whitney made me buy it' she said to him, 'I wasn't sure that you'd like it'

'I love it' he said. She looked down at herself

'Maybe I should change' she said with a frown

'Don't' Joey told her shaking his head 'You look beautiful' he told her 'You're going to turn everyone's head in the restaurant tonight' he said.

'Really?' she asked him

'Yes really.' he nodded 'What happened to the confident girl from earlier?' he asked her softly, she shrugged 'You don't need to change' he told her 'and besides we don't have time, the table is booked for half an hour and the taxi has been here for 10 minutes. We need to go' he said, he held out his arm and she smiled walked over to him and slid her arm through his.

The restaurant was in the Westend. 'Joey we can't afford this' Lauren told him as she looked at the restaurant.

'Yes we can' he replied as he led her insides 'Table for 2 for Branning' he told the Maitre De.

'Yes Mr Branning, please follow me' he smiled at the couple.

Once they were seated, and drinks were ordered, Lauren looked at the menu 'This is all too expensive' she whispered across the table

'You are worth it' he told her softly 'why don't you let me order for you?' he asked her, she nodded.

Joey nodded at the hovering waiter and he gave his order, Lauren listened with interest

'Can we please have 2 Oscietra caviar with warm blinis and sour cream?' Joey asked

'Large or small sir?'

'Small please' Joey replied. Lauren took a peek at the menu, the starter he had just ordered cost £85 each. 'And 2 Lamb rumps'

'Very good sir' the waiter took their order and picked up the menus and walked away.

'£85 for a starter..Joey…' she whispered across the table 'How did you even know about this place?'

'Ian told me about it' Joey told her

'Ian? Since when are you and Ian best friends?'

'He's catering the wedding and making the cake. I asked him if he knew of any nice restaurants and he told me about this place' he said and he looked at her 'I just wanted to do something special' he said and he licked his lips 'I know we haven't really been intimate for a while… today being for the first time for a while' she blushed slightly and looked down 'We've both been busy and tired , with work, College, the wedding' he told her 'I know you've probably been thinking that I've gone off you or something, I thought the same too about you' he admitted, she looked up at him surprised.

'No Joey I haven't..'

'Well we both proved that this afternoon' he said 'and I plan to show you again later…a lot' he added with a smile, Lauren smiled at him too. 'And if I'm truthful I guess I was worried that if we forgot to use protection or if it split…I didn't want to put that pressure back on you'

'Joey…'

'And I know that there's something else bothering you and I figured that maybe outside of Walford in a different setting that maybe you'd tell me' he said softly.

Lauren sighed 'It's nothing' she told him 'I'm handling it'

'I thought we could tell each other anything' he told her 'Talk to each other'

'Yeah we can… but not about this' she said 'It's nothing really' she shook her head and smiled at him 'its silly and pointless talking about' she picked up her club soda and took a sip. 'So what did you do when I was away?' she asked him

Joey let her change the subject 'Not much really, other than talk to you, text you, and miss you. I've been busy at the club. Tyler and I went for our suit fittings' he said 'I hung out at the pub with Lucy, Tyler and Whitney. Helped Lucy with a few things at the chip shop. Slept' he shrugged 'That's about it really' he told her 'oh and your dad said he will sort the wedding cars…his wedding present to us.'

'Yeah?' she asked in surprise and he nodded

'So that's one thing we don't have to pay for, which means we can afford tonight' he said.

They chatted as they ate their meals and then Joey asked her if she wanted dessert, she shook her head

'I thought we were having that at home?' she asked him with a smile

'Yes we are, we can, but if there's something that you wanted to try here?'

'No' she shook her head

They ordered coffee and Joey excused himself to go to the bathroom. When he came back and sat down he saw that her demeanour had changed, he frowned 'What's wrong?' he asked her

'Nothing' she lied shaking her head 'Can we go now?' she asked him

'Of course' he said nodding his head. He called the waiter over and paid their check, outside the restaurant he hailed a cab and they headed back towards Walford.

She was quiet on the car ride home, he put his arm around her and she tensed before leaning into him with a sigh, he kissed her forehead 'Please tell me what's wrong' he asked her 'And don't say it's nothing' he said to her 'Because clearly it isn't otherwise you wouldn't look so upset'

Lauren looked at him 'I don't want to tell you' she said

'Why?' he asked her 'You have no idea what's going through my head right now' Joey told her with a frown 'Talk to me, whatever it is we'll deal with this together'

Lauren pulled her phone out of her bag and he she pulled up the texts and she paused, licking her lips and then she gave the phone to Joey. He frowned and he looked down at her phone. He saw 48 texts from Lucy. He read through them and he grew angrier and angrier each text he read.

'Why didn't you tell me about these?' he asked her

'I didn't want to cause any trouble' she said with a shrug 'I know Lucy's your friend'

'I thought she was our friend' he frowned 'And all the time she's doing this behind my back?' he looked at her 'You should have told me about these' he snapped at her, her eyes filled with tears and he sighed and he closed his eyes briefly 'I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean to snap at you, He looked at her and he stroked her face gently' I'm cross with you because you didn't show me or tell me about these earlier' he said to her 'No wonder you've been so stressed out if you've been dealing with these on your own' he told her. 'What with college, work, wedding arrangements and these… wondering if someone of them were true….no wonder we haven't been able to get pregnant' he said to her 'You have to know that none of what she says in these texts are true' he told her 'You do believe me don't you?' he asked her, she hesitated before she nodded once.

He tapped on the glass separating them from the driver, 'can you drop us at the Queen Victoria pub please' he instructed the driver

'What are you going to do Joey?' Lauren asked him

'Put Lucy straight once and for all' he told her angrily.

**AN: Uh-oh. Wouldn't want to be in Lucy's shoes right now! **

**What is Joey going to do or say to her. **

**Is this going to ruin the rest of the night for Lauren and Joey? **

**Read on to find out. **

**R&R as always **


	146. Chapter 146

They walked into the Vic and Joey scanned the pub for Lucy. He found her standing at the bar,

'Joey…. Just leave it please' Lauren asked him, she tugged on his arm 'please let's just go home….' She pleaded with him.

Whitney nudged Tyler and he looked up 'Something's going on' she whispered to him.

Joey ignored Lauren and he walked over to Lucy and he grabbed her by the arm and roughly turned her around, making her stumble.

'Joey!' she exclaimed 'What's the matter with you?' she asked him

'Nothing is the matter with me, but clearly there's something wrong with you' he frowned at her

'You're hurting me' Lucy said with a frown. Joey squeezed her arm tighter

'Good' he replied 'Maybe then you'll get it through your stupid pathetic head that you and I are never getting back together'

'I know that.. I don't know what you're talking about' Lucy said shaking her head, her eyes darted to Lauren and then back to Joey

'No really. Then explain these to me Lucy?' he said and he held up Lauren's mobile phone 'you've been texting Lauren, telling her that you're going to do everything in your power to split us up, to get me back... to pay her back for stealing me from you' he told her 'you've been texting her for months and all the while you are pretending to be our friend to our faces, to my face' he said to her

'Joey…' Lauren stepped forward and touched his arm lightly. 'Let's just go home, she's not worth it', he shrugged her hand off and he glared at Lucy. Lauren went over to Whitney and Tyler.

'What's going on Lauren?' Whitney asked her 'what's happened?'

'Joey's furious with her….Tyler do something please' Lauren said

'She's had this coming' Tyler shook his head

'Do you think that this is what friends do Lucy hey?' Joey continued with his angry tirade. 'You've been lying to me, to Lauren, to everyone in this pub…. Pretending to be something that you're not, pretending to be happy for us, supportive. And then you've been texting Lauren and telling her that I'm sleeping with you behind her back? No wonder she's been so stressed out all the time. You know why she didn't tell me?' he asked her 'Do you?' he shook her 'Because deep down she thinks she deserves this because you were hurt. You slept with her boyfriend Lucy… and she forgave you. She actually forgave you for that. I don't about you but in my book that makes her a pretty special girl'

'Joey I ….I didn't send any texts…. I …. my.. my mobile, I lost my mobile months ago…..I' Lucy said letting the tears fall down her face 'We are friend Joey I … I am pleased for you and Lauren I swear'

'You know what I don't believe you' he frowned at her 'You are the most selfish, two faced bitch I have ever known. When are you going to get it through your thick skull that I am with Lauren? That I am going to marry Lauren. The wedding is four months away. She is the woman that I love that I want to spend the rest of my life with, that I want to have children with' he snapped at her angrily.

'Joey please you're really hurting me' Lucy said her eyes filling with tears, she glanced around the pub hoping that someone would help her,

'You know what I regret Lucy…I regret ever getting involved with you on the first place. That was the biggest mistake of my life and not one that I intend to repeat.'

'Don't say that we were good together' Lucy said 'You loved me'

'Loved you?' Joey said and he laughed 'God I could barely stand you' he told her 'You were just a casual thing. I was sleeping with other girls as well as with you'

'Joey…' Lucy frowned clearly this piece of news was a shock to her

'And when I was with you … all the time I was thinking about Lauren!' he told her 'I fucked you whilst I fantasised about Lauren' he spat at her 'Wishing that it was her instead of you'

'You don't mean that' Lucy shook her head

'Yes I do. And sex with Lauren …. It's amazing, incredible, out of this world. She is the best sex that I've ever had Lucy not you. She can turn me on just with a look. She can turn me on just by me thinking about her'' he said and he glanced over at Lauren and he took a breath, seeing how worried and concerned that she was. She was clinging tightly to Whitney's hand. 'Look at her…' he said softly he glanced back at Lucy 'I said look at her' he raised his voice. Lucy jumped and turned to look at Lauren. 'She is worth so much more than you. Do you honestly think that I would give her up for you? For someone as pathetic and sick as you? For someone who has no clue how to please a man in bed?' he looked at her 'who can't satisfy a man's needs?' he told her shaking his head. 'She is everything that a woman should be and I am head over heels crazy in love with her'

'Stay away from and stay away from Lauren …. and don't even think about making an appearance at the wedding, because your invitation has been revoked' Joey told her and he leant towards her until he was close enough to kiss her 'You think Derek was scary….mess with me again and you'll find out he was a pussy cat compared to me. Am I making myself clear Lucy?'

'Yes' Lucy whispered

'I'm sorry I didn't hear you?'

'Yes' Lucy said louder.

'Good' he said and he turned and he walked over to Lauren and he brushed her tears away 'Come on baby, let's go home' he told her softly, she nodded and he wrapped his arms around her 'It's okay. She's not going to bother us anymore' he told her softly, he led her towards the doors of the pub by her hand.

'This isn't over' Lucy hissed at Lauren as she walked passed her. Joey felt Lauren tug her hand out of his and he turned around in time to see Lauren punch Lucy hard in the face, knocking her to the floor. Lucy held her face and looked up in surprise at Lauren from the floor.

'Oh I think it is' Lauren said to as Lucy started to get up 'If you get up, I'm going to knock you straight back down to the floor' Lauren snarled at her. Lucy blinked and stayed on the floor.

Lauren turned back to Joey and he took her hand in his and he examined her knuckles 'Let's go get some ice on this hey slugger?' he smiled at her and he led her out of the Vic. They stood outside and Joey looked at her 'You got a pretty mean left hook there babe' he said to her with a smile 'and I have to admit that I'm pretty turned right now too' he told her with a grin.

'Then you better take me home' she told him with a smile. He stole a kiss and they headed towards the flat.

**AN: So… hopefully this lived up to expectations. If not sorry! **

**Joey and Lauren sexy time next! **

**Enjoy and as always R&R **


	147. Chapter 147

Joey led Lauren into the kitchen and he lifted her and sat her on the side near the fridge, he opened the fridge door and took out a bag of frozen peas, wrapped them in a teacloth and he placed them gently on her hand.

'Granddad would be proud of that left hook' he told her, she looked up at him with a smile 'The title of Basher Branning should go to you' he said, he glanced up at her and then looked at her hand. 'Can you make a fist?' he asked her, she clenched her hand 'That's good. You haven't broken anything' he said and he raised her knuckled to his lips and he kissed them softly. 'They might be a bit bruised tomorrow'

'It was worth it' Lauren replied softly 'She's had that coming for a while'

Joey looked at her 'I'm sorry' Joey said

'For what?'

'This is partly my fault' he told her 'I should never have got involved with her in the first place' he shook his head

'It isn't your fault' Lauren told him

'Well she should have got the message by now' he told her 'I think everyone in the pub got the message' he said as he remembered what he had said 'They know we have a pretty amazing sex life' he said 'And that you're the best sex that I've ever had' he blushed slightly and Lauren smiled and she cupped her face in her hands

'You're the best that I've ever had too Joey' she told him 'You do things to me that no one's ever done before'

'Yeah?' he asked her putting the peas down and putting his hands on her knees. He slowly slid them up under her dress, pushing her dress up until it was almost showing her knickers, he saw she was wearing stocking and suspenders again, he pushed her knees apart and he stepped between them and he slid her closer to the edge of the counter, she put her hands on his shoulders. 'Like what?' he asked her as he took her shoes off and dropped them on the floor.

'You know what' she told him with a shy smile,

'Well why don't we go into the bedroom and you can show me' he said to her softly, he looked down at his hands on her thighs and then he put his hands on her waist and he picked her up and he set her down on her feet and he led her into the bedroom.

He slowly undid the zip on her dress and he pushed it off her shoulders and he kissed a trail from one shoulder moving her hair out of the way so he could kiss the nape of her neck as he moved his lips to her other shoulder. He slid the straps of her dress of her arms and he pulled it gently off her body until it fell to the floor pooled around her feet. He let her hair fall over the front of her right shoulder and his lips moved to her neck again as he hands moved to her stomach and he pulled her back against him, she could feel his length pressing against her bottom. One of his hands moved upwards and cupped her bra clad breast and then his hands moved into the material and he rolled her nipple between his finger and thumb. His other hand moved lower and dipped into her knickers and found her clit and he pressed firmly against it

Lauren moaned softly and her head fell back onto his shoulder, she turned her head to look at him and slid her hand into his hair and they kissed softly, almost lazily, he tugged on her nipple gently and removed his hand from her knickers and he turned her and he stripped her of her bra, he let his gaze fall to her chest and he cupped both of her breasts in his hands, before stopping down and taking one of her nipples into this mouth, she arched her back and her hands moved to the front of his black suit pants, he stopped her hand and instead pushed his down the front of her knickers, his fingers teased her folds before he pressed two fingers inside her, she gasped and he began thrusting slowly, his thumb brushing against her clit. She moaned against softly as she felt her orgasm building

'Joey!' she murmured urgently, his pushed another finger inside her and increased his rhythm, he switched to her neglected nipple and she whimpered again. She came loudly around his fingers, when he had worked her through her orgasm, his withdrew his fingers and he licked them into his mouth, savouring the taste of her. Lauren trembled with anticipation as she saw the look in his eye. She was in for a long night.

After he had given her another 2 intense orgasms, once with his tongue and another by paying particular attention to her breasts, he stripped himself naked, then he removed her stockings and suspenders and he moved over her. He reached for her drawer and she stopped him.

'Don't' she said softly 'I want to start trying again' she told him.

He almost wept with joy at her words 'So do I' he replied as he sank inside her. They moved with synchronisation, and despite Lauren's 3 previous orgasms she craved more. Joey was on the brink but he wanted her to come with him, he groaned and he rotated his hips the way that she licked and he groaned and dug her nails into his back.

'Joey…..' she whimpered letting him know that she too was on the brink. 'Oh…..oh…Joey!'

'Lauren… I love you' he told her huskily

'I love you too Joey' she replied as she felt the orgasm building, she could feel it in her finger tips and in her toes, she cried out arching up against him as she spiralled into heaven, Joey was right there with her as he emptied himself inside her.

Joey smiled as he saw Lauren struggling to keep her eyes open. 'Sleep baby' he kissed her nose.

'We have a busy day tomorrow'

'What are we doing?' she asked him

'Everything we can to make a baby' he told her with a smile and he pulled her tighter against him.

**AN: Hope you liked this chapter. Lauren and Joey are going to try to have a baby again. Fingers crossed Lauren gets pregnant! **

**Back later**

**R&R as always **


	148. Chapter 148

For the next couple of days Joey and Lauren didn't leave the flat, in fact they didn't leave the bedroom, except to venture into the kitchen for food, or to the bathroom. They both called in sick to Sharon and although she knew there was nothing wrong with them, she didn't mind, because they had worked really hard and had covered when the other bar staff had called in sick. She had also heard about "Lucygate" as Jack had called it and decided that they both needed some time alone.

When they did venture out, they went to the Vic. Alfie was behind the bar 'Hello you two. Haven't seen you in here for a couple of days' he said with a smile 'No guesses as to what you two have been up to' he told them both. Lauren blushed and Joey grinned as he pulled her against him

'Can you blame me?' he asked him. Alfie smiled and shook his head

'No mate she's a keeper that's for sure' he told him 'So what can I get you?' he asked them

'Lauren?' Joey asked her

'Can I have a tomato juice please?'

'Of course you can darling. Joey?'

'Coke please' he said.

Joey paid for the drinks and then led her to a table. They sat down and Joey put his arm around her shoulders and he whispered in her ear. Alfie smiled as Lauren blushed bright red, and then laughed and scolded Joey.

'Hello you two' Tyler and Whitney grinned as they came in 'Can you join you?'

'Course you can' Joey smiled at them.

'I'll get the drinks' Tyler said and he went to the bar. Whitney sat down and she smiled at them both

'Well you two look like you're okay. Sharon said you were sick. Was a bug or something?'

'Or something' Lauren said

'We've been in bed for 48 hours' Joey told her straight faced 'it was awful' he grinned as Lauren nudged him and they both started giggling. Whitney rolled her eyes and shook her head

'I thought you two were really sick!' she told them both 'I was getting worried. Lauren wasn't answering her phone'

'She was busy' Joey replied with a smirk 'Lauren tells me that you look gorgeous in your dress' he told her 'I'm looking forward to seeing you in it. I bet Tyler is too?'

'Yeah he is' Whitney nodded as he brought the drinks over. 'They weren't sick at all'

'Never thought they were' Tyler replied 'at it like rabbits I bet' he smiled at Lauren

Moving the topic off our sex life….' Joey started to say

'You brought it up mate … in a crowded pub' Tyler said 'It's been a hot topic of conversation around here' he teased them both with a grin, Lauren picked up her juice and took a sip. 'As well as your infamous left hook' Tyler looked at Lauren 'remind me not to mess with you' Tyler said 'Definitely no strippers at the stag do' he told Joey

The boys started taking about Joey's stag do and Whitney moved round to sit closer to Lauren, she shifted in her seat to talk to her, Joey's arm moved from her shoulders but he didn't break the contact with her, letting his hand rest on her back.

'I can't believe that Lucy would do something like that' Whitney said to Lauren 'why didn't you say something?'

'I don't know I thought she would stop, get bored' Lauren admitted to her 'And I didn't want to make a fuss about it'

'You should have made a fuss' Whitney said with a frown 'She was totally out of order and Tyler and I aren't talking to her'

'I didn't want that'

'She deserves it Lauren' Whitney said

'Can we talk about something else please?'

'Okay, Alice,Abi and I have been talking about your hen night' Whitney said

'Ooh will there be strippers?' she asked her grinning from ear to ear

'It's likely' Whitney said 'Alice is on that project'

'Yay strippers!' Lauren clapped her hands.

'How come you can have strippers and Joey can't?' Tyler interrupted the conversation

'I never said Joey couldn't have strippers' Lauren said 'You said that there weren't any strippers' she told him 'and besides males strippers are different than female strippers. They're just dancers who happen to take their clothes off at the same time'

'What?' Tyler frowned at her

'Isn't that what female strippers do?' Tyler asked her

'Nope' Lauren shook her head 'It isn't, End of discussion' she turned her attention back to Whitney. Over the next hour Lauren and Whitney had sorted out the plan for the hen night.

'Right' Whitney said 'The Hen night is at R&R so you are going to have to think of somewhere else to have your stag do'

'Why can't we just have them in the same place?' Tyler asked

'Because knowing Lauren and Joey like we know them. They will just sneak off somewhere together and we want to ogle strippers without you two being there' Whitney replied with a grin

'Oh its strippers plural now?' Tyler asked her

'Yep' Whitney grinned at him 'we get plural you get none. And at about 11pm the stag and hen parties meet up at R&R'

'Sounds good' Joey said and he looked at Lauren who nodded and grinned at him, 'So how many strippers are we talking about exactly?' he asked her

'Alice is sorting it' Lauren said with a casual shrug.

'Is she?' Joey asked her 'Should be interesting then' he picked up his coke and took a drink.

Lauren looked at Whitney and winked at her.

**AN: So exactly what do the girls have planned for the Hen Party? Will Joey get strippers? **

**Time jump for the next chapter guys… back laters**

**R&R as always…**


	149. Chapter 149

Over the next month, the final arrangements were being made for the wedding. Lauren and Joey had met with Ian and agreed a menu for the sit down reception which was going to be held at R&R and for the buffet menu which was going to be held in the Vic. The flowers had been ordered and Joey had finalised arrangements with Max for the cars.

Lucy had pretty much stayed out the way, she had tried to talk to Joey on a few occasions but he had made it clear in no uncertain terms that she had ruined any chance there ever was of any friendship developing between the two of them.

Although Lauren and Joey had been trying very hard to get pregnant, the first month they took a test she discovered she wasn't pregnant, her period followed two days later. She had gotten a bit tearful and Joey had hugged her and comforted her and then made her laugh by telling her that they would have to double their efforts. They already had a pretty good sex life and Lauren giggled saying if they had sex more than they were that neither of them would ever leave the flat again. Joey truthfully said that he thought that was the best idea ever and he didn't care if they never left the flat again.

The second month Lauren took the test on her own and had agreed to meet Joey in the Vic to tell him the results. She crossed her fingers, crossed her toes and prayed that this time she would be pregnant. When the 10 minutes had passed she looked at the test and just like every other month when she saw the result she burst into tears again. She cried for over an hour and then tidied up the bathroom. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and she splashed water on her face. She didn't want Joey to see her like this, she knew that he would be upset to see her upset and more tears would fall.

She walked to the Vic at 5pm and she got a text from Joey saying that they had a problem at the club, he hoped that he would be an hour two at tops but that he would be there as soon as he could.

Lauren brought a coke and she sat down at the bar to wait for Joey.

'Lauren, can we talk?' she heard Lucy ask her

Lauren frowned and she turned to look at Lucy 'I don't really think that there is anything to say is there?' she asked her '

'I have something's that I need to say' Lucy told her 'I want to explain, apologise….I don't blame you for hitting me. I totally had that coming and I deserved it'

'That's 2 things that I agree on' Lauren said and she looked at her watch.

'Are you meeting Joey?' Lucy asked her

'Yes as a matter of fact I am' Lauren told her 'What's it to you?'

'Nothing, just… could you hear me out? Until he gets here?' she asked her

Lauren picked up her drink and she swallowed the last remaining drop of coke and put the glass back down on the bar. 'Call me curious but yeah I want to hear what you've got to say for yourself, but believe this Lucy, whatever your pathetic excuse is, it's not going to change anything between us. We will never ever be friends again'

Lucy nodded 'I get that' she told her 'I appreciate you being willing to hear me out' Alfie came to serve them

'Yes ladies?'

Can I have a double vodka and coke and Lauren?' Lucy looked at her

'I can buy my own drinks thanks' Lauren said 'I'll have another coke Alfie please'

Alfie brought the drinks over and Lauren out the money on the bar and her phone beeped. She pulled it out and saw it was from Joey. She smiled at his grumpiness for the problem in the club and his apologetic tone for being late. He promised that he would be there soon and that he would make it up to her tonight in the bedroom or lounge or kitchen, wherever she wanted' she sent a quick text back and put her phone back in her bag. She picked up her change and her drink and picked it up and took it to a table, Lucy followed her

'Did you tell him you were with me?' Lucy asked her

'If he knew I was even letting you breathe the same air as me he would be here in like 15 seconds making good on his threats' Lauren said

'Valid point' Lucy nodded 'Thank you. For not telling him' she told her.

'Enough with trying to make small talk Lucy, say whatever it is that you have to say and then get out of my life' Lauren told her

'I am sorry Lauren' Lucy told her 'I know that I was a supreme bitch to you' she said 'Everyone knows what I did and they're all avoiding me. Whitney and Tyler won't talk to me, dad is not happy with me. Even your mum yelled me at in Booties the other day'

'I don't want to listen to your pity parade. You brought all this on yourself Lucy you do realise this don't you?' she asked her.

'Yes I know. I was jealous. Of you. I thought that I loved Joey and that if you weren't in the picture that I could make him as happy as he is now' Lucy told her 'Of course now I realise that it's you making him happy' she licked her lips and picked up her drink and drank half of it down. 'I was jealous that you were happy too' Lucy admitted 'You would spend all your time with Joey, or with Whitney and Tyler and I lost my best friend' she said 'I know that there's nothing that I could do to make it up to you, to Joey' she told Lauren 'I talked my dad into giving you a discount for the catering, for the cake. It's only 10% but still…'

Lauren took a drink 'I am supposed to be grateful Lucy?' she asked her 'That you got us a discount? Am I supposed to thank you and proclaim to best friends forever, forgive you for what you did to me, tried to do to me and Joey? Because if that's what you're waiting for it's never going to happen'

'I know' Lucy said 'It wasn't entirely my idea you know. Nick was involved too' Lucy said 'He told me that he tried to kiss you, get you to let him into the flat but you wouldn't' she said to her 'He said you thought you were too good for him, just you like you did when we were at school. He was the one that was sending you texts before me… he gave me the idea' Lucy admitted.

'You were the one that invited him down here weren't you?' Lauren asked her

'Yes' Lucy nodded 'I was' she told her 'I bumped into him at a club in the West End and all he could talk about was you. Lauren this, Lauren that… I thought if you liked you maybe he could get you away from Joey' Lucy said to her.

'You are unbelievable Lucy' Lauren said, she drank some more of her coke and she got up

'Where are you going?'

'Bathroom' Lauren told her 'And by the time I get back you'd better be gone' Lauren told her. She got up and walked away from her.

When she came back Lucy was still sitting at the table 'You left your bag' Lucy said to her 'I didn't want leave it in case someone came in and took it' she said to her 'I got you another drink to apologise, I know it's only a coke but… I wanted to do something a token ….' Lucy shrugged 'I know I screwed Lauren, I know that I am a mess and a bitch and worse names than that' she said. Lauren picked up the half empty glass of coke and she drank it down, she grimaced at the taste, she pulled out a tissue from her bag and spat the new piece of chewing gum she had put in her mouth in the bathroom into it, wrapped it and dropped it back into her bag.

When Joey came in a couple of hours later he frowned seeing Lucy sitting with Lauren 'I thought I told you to stay away from her' he snapped at her

'I just came in and I found her like this. I think she's drunk Joey' Lucy told him 'I wasn't just going to leave her like this was I. I tried to take her home but she was adamant she wouldn't leave, saying that she had to wait for you' Lucy told him.

Joey crouched down in front of her 'Lauren?' he said and he shook her gently, she looked up at him and he could see her eyes were unfocussed, 'Lauren?' he shook her again.

'Which one is hers?' he asked Lucy, looking at the glasses on the table,

'This one' Lucy pointed. Joey picked it up and sniffed it and then took a sip There's a lot of vodka in this' he said 'How many has she had?' he asked her

'I don't know' Lucy shook her head 'Do you want me to give you a hand taking her home?'

'No I can manage' he said to her.

'I didn't send those tests Joey' she told him 'I know that they came from my phone, but I told you that my phone was stolen. I know I should have cancelled the contract but I thought that I might have misplaced it somewhere and I was hoping that it would turn up again. If I'd known that someone was sending texts to Lauren I would have cancelled the line' she told him and she licked her lips 'I think maybe Nick took it'

Joey looked at Lucy and he frowned at her, unsure whether or not to believe her 'I can't think about this now I need to get Lauren home' he said to her as he helped his intoxicated girlfriend up.

'Don't forget her bag' Lucy said and she picked up the bag and handed it to Joey

'Thank you' he said and he walked out of the pub.

Lucy smiled to herself. Well if this doesn't rock the boat a little before the wedding then she didn't know what else would.

**AN: And Evil bitch queen Lucy is back. **

**R&R as always **

**Enjoy **


	150. Chapter 150

Joey took Lauren home and he carried her up the stairs and into the bedroom. The cool breeze had brought her round a little bit

'Joey?' she asked

'It's me' he replied his tone a little cold

'I don't feel so good'

'You're drunk Lauren' he told her 'Just sleep it off and we'll talk about it tomorrow' he said

I can't be drunk. I haven't drunk anything' she said slurring her words

'I'll get you some water' he said

He went into the kitchen and filled a glass with water and he brought a bowl through with him. He put the bowl on the floor in front of her and he handed her the glass. He disappeared into the bathroom briefly to grab a towel and he put that by the bowl

'Are you mad at me?' she asked him

'Just get into bed Lauren and go to sleep' he told her 'Like I said we'll talk in the morning'

'I was drinking cokes all night' she slurred her words 'Lucy came in… she must have she must have spiked my drinks'

'Lucy said she had just walked in and found you' Joey told her with a frown.

'I swear joey I haven't been drinking…'

'Clearly you have Lauren. Your glass was practically all vodka.'

She moved on the bed and knocked her bag onto the floor. They both heard a clunk of glass as it hit the ground. Joey got up and he picked the bag up, not realising that it was upside down and he tipped the contents all over the floor. Lauren giggled as he cursed loudly and knelt down to pick things up. He picked up a 3 quarters full half vodka bottle that had been in her bag and he sighed and put it on her bedside table. He knew that he saw something roll under the bed and he moved so he could look under, he picked up an eyeliner pencil and saw a box. He reached under the bed and he pulled the box out.

Inside he was stunned and dismayed to find 4 empty vodka bottles inside.

'What's this Lauren hey?' he asked her

He looked at her when she didn't answer and realised she had passed out.

With a sigh, he rolled her so that she was on her side, so if she was sick she wouldn't choke on it.

He finished picking up the contents of her bag and saw Lucy's phone. He looked at it and then he looked at Lauren. A million thoughts were whirring around in his mind. He put her bag down on the chair and he picked up the box and the vodka bottle and carried them into the lounge. He was awake all night thinking things through over and over in his head and only coming up with one answer.

He didn't know Lauren Branning at all; not if she was capable of doing something like this.

Lauren woke up in the morning and found herself alone in the bed 'Joey?' she called out softly. He heard her call him but he wasn't ready to have this conversation. She got up and went into the bathroom, her head was killing her; she took some painkillers and started the shower going. She stayed under the water under the painkillers had kicked in and then she dried herself and dressed and walked into the lounge. She saw Joey sitting there, he looked tired.

'Joey?' she frowned at him 'what are you doing out here?' she asked him.

'Thinking' he said truthfully

'About what?'

'You. Us' he said to her

Lauren blinked and she felt her heart racing in her chest as she started to panic 'What do you mean?'

'You were drunk last night Lauren. Do you remember that?' he asked her

'I was ordering Coke at the bar, if you don't believe me you can ask Alfie' she told him

'I believe that you were ordering coke' he told her 'When you have your own supply of vodka in your bag then you wouldn't need to buy it would you'

'What do you mean?' she asked him. He stood up and went into the kitchen. Lauren followed him.

'I found this in your bag' he told her 'and then after I got you home I found this box under the bed full of empty vodka bottles'

'I.. what.. I don't know how they got there' she told him shaking her head

'The same way you don't remember the bottle in the freezer?' he asked her with a frown, 'And look what else I found in your bag' he said 'Lucy's phone'

'Lucy's phone?' she frowned.

'The one that she claimed was stolen. I found it in your bag' he said 'Did you send those texts to yourself Lauren?'

'No' Lauren shook her head 'Of course I didn't Joey' Lauren frowned at him. 'You have to believe me Joey. I have never seen that bottle of vodka before or that box… I swear….'

'We're trying for a baby Lauren' he said angrily 'and all the time you're drinking behind my back? No wonder we're not getting anywhere' he looked at her

'No Joey I would never do that…..'

'Except you did' he shouted 'you did do that'

'One time. It was one time; she looked at him 'Please you have to believe me'

'I don't what to believe anymore' he told her and he licked his lips

'Joey we're getting married in two months' she said softly

'Are we?' he asked her. He took a deep breath 'I think we both need to think about that' he told her 'I's it what we really want?' he signed 'I think … I need some time' he told her

'But I didn't do anything'

'Lucy is the one who didn't do anything Lauren' he told her with a frown 'You did this and you let her take the blame. You set the whole thing up so she would take the blame. She lost her friends Lauren' he told her 'I don't want to be with someone who can do that to another person just to spite them' he said 'I'm going to work.. when I get home I don't want you here Lauren' he said to her 'I need space to think about if I really knew you at all…'

'What about the wedding'

'I don't know' Joey said and she looked at her 'I don't know about the wedding' he said. She watched as he walked out of the flat. The tears stinging her eyes rolled down her cheeks. She packed a bag with a few clothes and she left the flat and went over to Tyler's knocked on the door.

When he opened it he found a distraught Lauren on his doorstep

'Hey what's happened?' he asked her as she fell into his arms.

'I think it's over' she told him 'Joey told me to leave. I had nowhere else to go I …'

'Ssh' Tyler rubbed her back. She explained everything that she could remember to Tyler and he closed his eyes 'hey it'll be okay. You and Joey will sort this out in a few days you'll see' he told her. 'in the meantime you can stay here with me'

'Thanks' she sobbed against his chest.

**AN: Will Joey work out that Lucy is behind this or has Lucy finally got what she wanted? **

**Read on and find out. **

**Thank you for all your reviews **

**As always R&R **


	151. Chapter 151

Over the next few days Lauren had tried to talk to Joey but he told her that he wasn't ready. He said that he needed more time to think about things, she asked him if she could get more clothes from the flat and he said she could, she also asked him if he wanted her to move out and he told her honestly that he didn't know, he needed more time to figure things out.

Lucy had of course revelled in the latest setback between Lauren and Joey and was very quick to offer Joey a shoulder to cry on. It wasn't that he particularly wanted to be around Lucy, but Tyler had made his feeling known when Lauren had apparently returned to his flat in pieces because Joey hadn't made up his mind yet and Joey had no one else to talk to. Whitney had also been swayed over to Lucy's side and she wasn't talking to Lauren either. In fact her staying with Tyler was causing some serious problem in his relationship with Whitney.

Because of this problem Tyler has started to talk to Joey again and he had told him that it was simple. Either he loved Lauren and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her or he didn't. Joey replied and said that he did love her but he didn't know if he could trust her and that he was working out whether or not he was going to take the risk again.

Three weeks later Lauren was sick of waiting, Joey hadn't returned any of her phone calls or texts and she needed to know what was happening. So she walked into the club looking for Joey. Instead she found Lucy sitting at the bar a coffee in front of her.

'Where's Joey?' Lauren asked her

'He doesn't want to talk to you Lauren' Lucy replied

'I didn't ask you if he wanted to talk to me I asked you where he was' she snapped at her

Lucy shrugged 'Look Lauren, you were the one that screwed things up not me' Lucy told her 'He wants you to leave him alone, to stop calling him, texting him. It's been nearly a month you really should have got the message by now. You and Joey. It's over for good. If I were you I'd cancel the wedding.' She told her with a smug smile even though she knew that wasn't what Joey wanted even if he hadn't admitted it to himself yet.

'You know what I'd rather hear it from the organ grinder not the monkey' Lauren shot back. 'I'm going to ask you one more time Lucy. Where. Is .Joey?'

'I'm here' Joey said as he came back into the club with some crates of mixers 'Lauren' he said quietly what are you doing here?' he asked her as he put the crates on the bar.

Lauren blinked at him and licked her lips 'We need to talk Joey, please?' she asked him

'So talk' he shrugged without looking up

'In private' she replied 'And not here. Please Joey…'

'You know begging is really pathetic' Lucy butted in

'I can handle this thanks Luce' Joey frowned at her and he looked up at Lauren

'Please…. Meet me at the park at 4:00pm' she asked him

'I'm working' he told her, she sighed and nodded and then licked her lips

'Then I'll wait there until you finish. Please? I promise that after we've spoken that I won't bother you any more' she told him. He looked up at her, not sure that he liked that idea. 'You won't have to see me again' she added. Joey blinked and he knew that he definitely didn't like that idea. He looked at Lauren, she looked pale, tired, she had lost weight, he could see that despite her clothes, he took a deep breath as she continued to plead with him Please it's really important Joey. We need to talk about us. What we are going to do. If we need to cancel the wedding, a few other things' she told him

He sighed closing his eyes, knowing that she was right and he nodded his head, 'Okay. You're right we do' he replied 'I'll be there at 4:00pm

'Thank you' Lauren said softly. She turned and walked out of the club.

She went to the park at 3pm and sat watching people go by. At 3:30pm, she felt someone sit on the bench beside her and she turned expecting to see Joey but instead saw Lucy.

'He's not coming' Lucy told her 'He wasn't going to tell you but I told him it wasn't nice to let you sit here all afternoon waiting for him. So I've come to tell you that he's not coming' she told her with a smirk.

Lauren frowned and she sighed, shaking her head and feeling her eyes fill with tears

'Why did you do this Lucy?' she asked her

'I told you I was going to get Joey back' she told her 'That I would do whatever it takes to get him away from you' she said as she stood up 'I thought that it would be harder than this. But it turns out that he obviously didn't love you like he claimed to or it wouldn't have been so easy for me to wreck your relationship' she told her she pushed her hands into her pockets 'I'm sleeping with him, in case you were wondering' Lucy watched as the tears rolled down Lauren's cheeks. 'In fact he was so in love with you that he slept with me the night he kicked you out. In your bed… or should I say your old bed'

Lauren stood up 'You have no idea what you've done do you Lucy' Lauren said shaking her head 'But you are going to be the one that lives with the consequences, not me' Lauren told her 'I feel sorry for you Lucy. You are sad and pathetic and desperate and Joey's going to find out what you've done one day' Lauren told her 'I just wish I could be a fly on the wall when it happens' she said 'I'm not playing games anymore Lucy' she shook her head . 'You want Joey so badly, then fine, he's yours. You win' Lauren told her 'You deserve each other. I'm done now' she told her before she turned and walked away from her. Lucy watched her go and frowned, she had expected that Lauren was going to fight her for Joey; she knew that eventually Joey would talk to her, he missed her and he was miserable. Lauren was too. Lauren looked broken, she had changed a lot since that night. For the first time since she started this whole thing, Lucy felt guilty.

She looked at her watch, it was 15 minutes before 4:00pm. She knew Joey would be here soon. She knew Lauren, this giving up on Joey, promising to stop bothering him wouldn't last long and he wouldn't be able to stay away from Lauren forever.

Lauren got back to Tyler's flat and she sat down on the sofa. She stared into space as she thought about what Lucy has said. He was sleeping with her. She felt bile rising and clasping her hand over her mouth she ran to the bathroom and she threw up. Once her stomach was emptied. She went back to the lounge and she looked at the two bags of clothes that she had managed to get from the flat. She thought that she and Joey would be able to things out. Given space and time, he would calm down think things through and they would talk and they would fix things. But now … now that he was sleeping with Lucy…that changed things. That changed things a lot. She knew what she had to do.

She pulled out her phone and she called Tyler

'Hey everything okay?' he asked her

'Yeah. I need another favour' she told him

'Go on' he said

She told him that she needed to get some more things from the flat tomorrow and that it would be easier if she could do it without Joey being there and could he keep him at the pub until she text him to say that she was done. He agreed to keep Joey out of the way tomorrow for as long as possible. He could use the time to really talk to Joey and find out what was happening.

Lauren thanked him and hung up, she found a pad of paper and she started writing.

The next morning, after Tyler gave her the all clear she let herself in and locked the front door and walked up the stairs to the flat and let herself in.

The flat was a mess. Joey hadn't cleaned or done the washing up for some time and it stank.

She walked into the bedroom and she grabbed her suitcases from the bottom of the wardrobe. She packed all her clothes and shoes and put the cases outside the flat. She picked up her college bag and filled it with her sketch pads, pens, pencils, lap-top. She went into the kitchen and she grabbed a roll of bin bags and she went through the flat systematically packing anything that belonged to her. Those bags joined those outside the door when she was done. Pausing by the door she opened the drawer she found their savings book. She pushed that into her pocket. Satisfied that she had taken everything that was hers she put the deadlock on the door, stepped out of the flat and shut the door behind her.

She carried the rest of the things downstairs and loaded them into the car. She unlocked the driver's door and she got in the car and she drove it round to park it behind Tyler's flat. She looked at the time and she sent a quick text to Tyler telling him that the flat was clear but she still needed another couple of hours. He replied and told her that was fine.

She took the tube to the bank and withdraw her share of the money from their joint savings account.

Next she went looking for Sharon. She went to the club.

'Oh Lauren I've been calling you' Sharon said 'I wondered if you could work tonight?' she asked her 'Pick up a couple of extra shifts a week, go back to your old rota'

'Actually that's why I've come in' Lauren told her 'I'm really sorry to do this at short notice Sharon, but I'm going away a few days' she told her 'I just need some time away to clear my head' she told her 'Figure out what I'm going to do next'

'You and Joey still not sorted things out yet?' Jack asked her

'No' Lauren shook her head

'Well maybe some time apart where you don't see each other every day will help?' Jack said to her

'Yeah maybe' Lauren nodded and smiled 'well I better go I have things to do' she told them both.

She went back to Tyler's and she checked her reflection in the mirror, retouched her makeup, changed her clothes and brushed her hair. She had some things she needed to do and then she would go into the Vic.

A couple of hours later, she felt drained and exhausted. She stood outside the pub and she took a deep breath closed her eyes and walked in. Tyler saw her and let out a breath he didn't know that he was holding. She walked to the bar and brought herself a drink. Joey looked up at her, willing her to turn around to look at him. She picked up her drink and she spotted Ian in the pub. She walked over to him and Joey watched as they had a brief conversation and Lauren handed him something. Ian looked at Joey and then back at Lauren and he nodded and he squeezed her shoulder with a sympathetic smile and he walked out of the pub. Joey frowned wondering what the conversation was about. Lauren took her drink around the other side of the bar and she sat down with it. She pulled out her phone and she checked her messages, she had one from Sarah wondering when Lauren and Joey were coming down to see her. Lauren sent her a quick text back and she saw her phone flash with a text from Lucy. She deleted it without even reading it. She finished her drink and she got up, Alfie called her back as she was about to leave and she went over to him. Joey watched them talking, Lauren shook her head again and Alfie gave her the same sympathetic smile that Ian had. Joey frowned again. Lauren left the pub without even looking in the direction of Joey or Tyler.

Lauren heard Tyler outside the flat and she pretended to be asleep when he came him. He looked at her and he decided to let her sleep, he knew that she wasn't sleeping much, he could hear her wandering around the flat, sometimes all night. He went into the kitchen checked the fridge and cupboards for supplies and then left.

The next morning Lauren was up early. She showered and she dressed and she went to the café. Lucy was serving behind the counter, the café was full of market traders, Tyler, Joey and Whitney sat at a table together. Lauren's first instinct was to flee, but she took a deep breath and she walked towards the counter.

'What can I get you Lauren?' Lucy asked her sweetly knowing that the others were watching.

'Coffee to take away' Lauren said quietly, Lucy could see how pale and tired Lauren looked, her eyes red obviously from crying. She felt another twinge of guilt but it didn't stop her trying to humiliate her.

'I'm sorry we have no take away cups you'll have to have drink in' Lucy told her smugly. Lauren could see the pile of plastic take out cups behind Lucy. Lucy expected Lauren to point out that there were plastic cups behind her and make a scene, instead she walked out of the café without saying anything. Lucy blinked in surprise. She raised her eyes and looked at Whitney and looked towards the café door. Whitney got up and went after Lauren. She called her name as she crossed through the square, but Lauren didn't stop, Whitney had to run to catch up with her

'Lauren' she said 'Hey!' she said 'You didn't want a coffee?'

'What do you want Whitney?' Lauren asked her with a sigh

'I thought maybe we could meet up for lunch?'

'Why?'

'To talk things through. Look you're obviously hurting…'

'I have college' Lauren told her

'For half a day' Whitney said 'We could have lunch in the café across the road.'

'I can't afford to' Lauren replied and she turned to go

'My shout then' Whitney said

'No thank you' Lauren replied

'Please?' Whitney asked her 'I really want to talk to you. I need to talk to you'

'I'm not interested' Lauren told her shaking her head 'Talk to Lucy' Lauren told her and she walked back to Tyler's flat and he let herself in. Whitney frowned and she went back to the café, she looked at Lucy and shook her head.

'What was that about?' Tyler asked her

'I just wanted to talk to Lauren' Whitney told him

'Why?'

'She just looked upset. I wanted to see if she was okay'

'She's been upset for the last three weeks Whitney' Tyler said 'Now you suddenly decide to talk to her?' he frowned at her 'Told you to sling your hook did she?'

'Yeah she did'

'Not surprising really is it' he said and he frowned at her 'You supposedly being her best friend. You not being there when she needed you'

Whitney frowned knowing that Lauren was a touch subject for Tyler. 'I'll try again later' Lauren told him.

After an hour of thinking about Lauren, how awful she looked, how much he missed her, Joey knew that he'd made a decision, he drained his coffee cup and he got up walking towards the door.

'Where are you going?' Lucy asked him

'I need to talk to Lauren' he replied and he left. He walked to the flat and knocked on the door. 'Lauren are in you in there?' he called out' Babe … I love you' he said 'Please open the door and talk to me...Lauren? I want to marry you in 5 weeks' he knocked on the door again 'Babe?' realising that she wasn't there he pulled out his phone and he sent her a text message asking her to call him.

When Tyler returned later that night, Lauren wasn't in. He looked around the flat and saw that Lauren's bag had gone. He frowned 'Lauren?' he called out thinking she was in the bathroom. He saw an envelope with his name on it on the table and he picked it up and tore it open when he recognised Lauren's handwriting.

'**Tyler. **

**I know that you are going to be angry with me for doing this but I don't really have another choice. I can't stay her and watch him be with her. Not knowing what we had and could have had. And it's not just me that I need to think about now. I know you're thinking that I've taken the coward's way out, and maybe I am. But I need to have a fresh start somewhere else. I know that isn't going to make sense to you. **

**I wish that I could have had the courage to say goodbye to you to your face, but I knew that it would be too difficult. We'd both get upset. **

**Thank you for everything that you have done since Joey and I broke up. (Yes I can call it what it is now, because that's what happened. We broke up. There I said it again). Your friendship really means so much to me and I know I was coming between you and Whitney. Lucy's already ruined one relationship and I'm not going to let her ruin yours too. **

**I've told a few people that I am going away for a few days to clear my head. Can you tell everyone that too? I have written letters and I'll post them in a few days which explains things.**

**Oh, can you give Sharon the large envelope, there's a letter in there for her too.**

**I'll change my number when I've got settled and I'll text it to you. Please don't give it to anyone else. I will speak to you again when I am settled. **

**There's a large box in the kitchen, the one with the envelope stuck to the top. That's for Joey. If he asks…. If he doesn't well…. You'll figure out what to do with it.**

**Thank you again for being there for me. For believing me. For being my only friend. **

**I love you and I hope to see you soon. **

**Lauren xx"**

Tyler folded the letter up and he sat down on the sofa with a sigh.

Over the next couple of days he avoided everyone. He didn't go to the café, to the Vic or even to the stall. He told Whitney that he had a stomach bug and that he didn't want her to get it and just wanted to lie in bed until he felt better. The third day, he picked up the envelope for Sharon and he took them it to the club.

'Hello Tyler. Hope you're feeling better' she smiled as he walked in

'Yeah thanks' he said and he looked at her 'Joey not here?'

'Cellar' she said 'You can go down if you want to talk to him.'

'No, I came to see you. Lauren asked me to give you this' he told her

'Is she back?' Sharon asked him taking the envelope 'I hope she is. Joey's been moping around the place. The sooner those two talk the better. The wedding is a month away'

Tyler didn't comment. 'Anyway I've done what Lauren asked so… I'll see you later' he told her

'All right thanks Tyler' she told him.

She sat down at the bar with her coffee and she tore open the envelope. Inside she found a pile of papers, a memory stick, and another smaller envelope, she opened that one and found the keys to the club and a letter; she unfolded the letter and found a cheque. She frowned confused and she read the letter.

Joey came back from the cellar 'There's water leak down there' he told her 'Do you want me to call the plumber or will you?' he asked her

'Mm what?' Sharon frowned and looked up at him

'Plumber?'

'Oh I'll do it' she told him and she gathered up the envelope and all its contents and went into her office and shut the door.

At lunchtime Joey went into the Vic and he saw Lucy and Whitney sitting at a table with Poppy and Fats and Alice, Tyler was at the bar, he joined him. They saw Cora walk in and order a scotch and she drank it down in one. She turned and saw Lucy and saw her laughing and joking with her friends. She walked over to her

'Pleased with yourself are you?' Cora asked her

'Excuse me?' Lucy asked her

'My granddaughter has a broken heart and you are all in here laughing and joking like you didn't have a hand in it' she said to her

'Look I didn't make Lauren get drunk' Lucy said shaking her head 'I'm sure that she and Joey will work things out' Lucy said to her

'I wouldn't bet on that if I was you' Cora said to her

Lucy frowned 'what do you mean?' she asked Cora.

Cora shook her head 'I'm not wasting any more of my breath on you' she told her and she walked towards the door. Lucy got up and followed her

'Cora what did you mean?' Lucy asked her with a frown, she grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving

Cora turned around to face her 'It's Mrs Cross to you' she told her coldly, before Lucy knew what was happening Cora had slapped her across the face 'That's from my granddaughter' Cora told her as Lucy blinked at her in surprise, Cora slapped her again 'and that one was from me' she said. Lucy held her stinging cheek, tears in her eyes. Cora saw Joey and Tyler watching from the bar, she looked at Tyler and she nodded once. She looked at Joey with disgust and she turned and walked out.

Joey blinked and he looked at Tyler 'What's going on?' he asked him 'Where's Lauren?'

The next few sentences out of his mouth would bring his world crumbling around his ears.

**AN: Only one more chapter to go folks. Which is going to be published the same time as this one. **

**Thank you all for your reviews, they really do mean so much to me. And over 700 of them for my first story. You guys are awesome. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.**

**Thank you for reading. **

**Enjoy. **


	152. Chapter 152

A month later Joey replayed the scene in the Vic over again in his head for what felt like the hundredth time.

'_**What was that about?' Whitney said as they crowded around Lucy **_

'_**I have no idea' Lucy said shaking her head. **_

_**Whitney looked at Joey and then her boyfriend 'Tyler?' **_

_**He took a deep breath and Lucy turned around to look at him'**_

'_**Lauren's gone' he said **_

'_**Gone. What do you mean gone?' Whitney asked him 'We know she went away for a few days to clear her head…The wedding's in a few weeks… the dresses arrived this morning….we have a final fitting tomorrow'**_

'_**As if she would still want you two to be bridesmaids' Tyler said looking at his girlfriend and Alice. 'You both turned your back on her when she needed her friends the most.' He frowned at them both. He looked at Lucy 'and you…. You are the cruellest, selfish, self-centred two face bitch that I have ever had the misfortune to meet. I really don't know how you sleep at night' he snapped at her angrily. 'Well I guess you got what you wanted' he told her 'Lauren's gone. She left Walford, and she's not coming back. Gives you a clear run at Joey now doesn't it hey?' he asked her 'But if you were thinking about taking her place at the wedding you're out of luck. She's cancelled everything' **_

'_**What?' Joey asked him 'what do you mean she's cancelled everything, what do you mean she's gone?' **_

'_**You should have talked to her Joey. God knows she tried to talk to you enough, but you wouldn't even give her the time of day. You should have listened to her and you should have believed her' Tyler frowned angrily at his friend. 'You should have trusted her' he licked his lips 'She's left a box for you at my place' he told him 'You can come and pick it up' **_

'_**Where has she gone, I need to see her, I need to talk to her to apologise to tell her that I love her'**_

'_**You're too late' Tyler said and he walked out of the pub.**_

Today was Lauren's 21st birthday. Today was their wedding day.

Joey was slumped on the sofa in their flat…. His flat, he had their song on repeat on the CD player. They were going to have their first dance to this. He didn't have any morphine but he did have a bottle of scotch, which he decided was the next best thing. He held her engagement ring in his hand, tears falling freely down his cheeks. He leant forward to pour another glass of scotch and inadvertently pressed the control for the cd player. Another Bruno Mars song filled the room. As he listened it, it made him miss her more. The chorus didn't apply to him at the moment, but the verses really hit home but Lauren was beautiful, inside and out and he knew that it would only be a matter of time before someone else would see what he did and then chorus would apply to him. He swallowed another glass of scotch.

_**Same bed but it feels just a little bit bigger now  
Our song on the radio but it don't sound the same  
When our friends talk about you, all it does is just tear me down  
'Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name**_

It all just sounds like oooooh…  
Mmm, too young, too dumb to realize  
That I should have bought you flowers  
And held your hand  
Should have gave you all my hours  
When I had the chance  
Take you to every party  
'Cause all you wanted to do was dance  
Now my baby's dancing  
But she's dancing with another man

My pride, my ego, my needs, and my selfish ways  
Caused a good strong woman like you to walk out my life  
Now I never, never get to clean up the mess I made, ohh…  
And it haunts me every time I close my eyes

It all just sounds like oooooh…  
Mmm, too young, too dumb to realize  
That I should have bought you flowers  
And held your hand  
Should have gave you all my hours  
When I had the chance  
Take you to every party  
'Cause all you wanted to do was dance  
Now my baby's dancing  
But she's dancing with another man

Although it hurts  
I'll be the first to say that I was wrong  
Oh, I know I'm probably much too late  
To try and apologize for my mistakes  
But I just want you to know

I hope he buys you flowers  
I hope he holds your hand  
Give you all his hours  
When he has the chance  
Take you to every party  
'Cause I remember how much you loved to dance  
Do all the things I should have done  
When I was your man  
Do all the things I should have done

_**When I was your man**_

Joey closed his eyes. He'd screwed things up big time. He waited too long to talk to her. He took too much time in realising that he loved her that he wanted to marry her. He knew that he should have believed her…. He knew that and he was kicking himself. He'd lost the best thing that ever happened to him, He'd lost the only girl that he ever loved. The only girl that he would ever love. He'd lost everything. He felt the pain again and poured another glass of scotch and drank it down, the pain dulled. He played the song again.

Elsewhere, Lauren looked around her bedsit. It was all she could afford since she had to pay cancellation fees for the wedding, all the money she had saved had nearly all gone. She had just under £2000 left and she knew that this wouldn't last long.

She sighed and she looked around at the changes she had made, it looked a little brighter than it did when she moved in, she smiled, it looked a lot better. This was now her home.

Her phone beeped and she picked it up and she saw it was a text from Tyler.

'_**Happy Birthday 21**__**st**__** Birthday Lauren. I miss you. See you soon Tyler xxxxx' **_

She took a breath and tears stung her eyes. Today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. She should have been marrying the man that she loved with all her heart, turns out that he didn't feel the same way about her.

She wanted a drink badly, but she knew that she couldn't. That was the way that the old Lauren would have dealt with this situation. But not now. No matter how badly she wanted a drink she knew she wouldn't. It wasn't just her she had to think about now.

She brushed her hand lightly across her stomach 'It's just you and me now baby' she said 'I promise that I'll get a job and get some more money, and you and I … you and I are going to be fine. I love you so much and I can't wait to meet you' she smiled as she thought about the tiny life growing inside her.

** The End. **__

_**AN: coming soon…..Repercussions. **_


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